This Animal I Have Become
by armydude
Summary: Junior lays down the LAW, the Tweebs are a gold mine, Kim and MrDrP talk, Junior and Co. settle in, someone finds out something they REALLY don't like and someone else has to do things they don't want to! Next on This Animal: Chapter 47 Landslide
1. This Animal I Have Become

**Usual disclaimers here. I don't own anything. Never have, most likely never will.  
****Please checkout the first story at 2983607/1/Youve_got_another_thing_comin  
****That will make this an easier read**

**Song: "This Animal I Have Become"  
****Artist: Three Days Grace  
****Location: youtube /watch?v=wE0-_2n1Vh8**

**Chapter 1 This Animal I Have Become**

Ron looked up and saw Warhok reach down and pick up Kim, holding her upside down by one leg. When he heard Warhok offer to have her mounted in the trophy room, for the first time, Ron allowed the Mystical Monkey Power free reign. His brown eyes started glowing a cool azure. Rising to his feet, he held his right hand out to his side and murmured, "Lotus Blade." With a "BAMPF" of displaced air, the blade appeared in his hand.

_I can't escape this hell  
So many times I've tried  
But I'm still caged inside  
Somebody get me through this nightmare  
I can't control myself_

The sound drew the attention of the potential conquerors. And where before there was someone they dismissed as a buffoon, there now stood a threat. An armed threat. What he intended to do with a sword against two of the greatest warriors of Lowardia was anyone's guess. Looking at him was strange. It was like looking through a pane of glass that had a layer of water flowing across it. His image was wavering and surrounded by a dim blue haze.

_So what if you can see the darkest side of me  
No one will ever change this animal I have become  
Help me believe it's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal!  
This animal, this animal_

The Warrior with the Blade was standing with his right side facing the pair. The sword held low to his left in a strange reversed grip. His eyes were downcast, looking at the ground just in front of them. Then he spoke in a calm, quiet, chilling voice, "If you wish to live, GENTLY, set her down, board you ship and leave."

Warmonga placed herself in front of the Warrior with her hands on her hips, asking with a snarky voice, "Or what? I remember you from the last time. And even the false Great Blue called you a Buffoon. So I ask you again. Or. What."

_I can't escape myself (I can't escape myself)  
So many times I've lied (So many times I've lied)  
But there's still rage inside  
Somebody get me through this nightmare  
I can't control myself_

The eyes blazed from the cool azure to an incandescent blue/white and the Blade took on the same fierce glow. His image blurred for an instant and the only reason Warhok was able to track the Blade was its' glow. Three strokes, the first vertical moving upwards, the second from right to left just below shoulder height, the last back across right above the hips.

_So what if you can see the darkest side of me  
No one will ever change this animal I have become  
Help me believe it's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal I have become  
__Help me believe it's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal_

And Warmonga, the only female he had ever cared about, one of the greatest warriors of Lowardia, second only to himself, fell to the ground in ten pieces. Her wounds cauterized by the Blade, The vertical stroke had bisected her body and the two lateral strokes had separated the arms from the shoulders and hands from the wrists, while cutting her torso into three sections.

"That.", the Warrior answered matter-of-factly. Shifting his attention to the remainder of pair. Still in the quiet, bone-chilling voice, he repeated his warning. "If you wish to live, GENTLY, set her down, board you ship and leave."

Looking aghast at the remains of his lover his expression changed to one of fury. Flipping the female in his hand over and grabbing her by the front of the blue and white suit she was wearing, Warhok hurled her it the Warrior, and leapt after her at the Warrior screaming his rage.

_Somebody help me through this nightmare  
I can't control myself  
Somebody wake me from this nightmare  
I can't escape this hell_

Something strange happened then. He saw the Warrior catch the female, and the next instant, the world was tumbling. He landed on his side, but it was weird, he didn't feel the impact. He couldn't even feel the ground. Seeing the Warrior enter his range of vision, he tried to leap up to crush the killer of his mate. But he couldn't move.

The much smaller Warrior reached down, grabbed him by the back of the head and lifted him to eye level, with no effort at all. He looked into the eyes of his enemy with ruthless, remorseless, pitiless eyes and with a voice as cold as space spoke. "You know dude, it's strange the things you can learn from TV. Like the fact that it takes 3-4 minutes for the brain to die from lack of oxygen. Or that the eyes and ears, unlike everything else in the body, are wired directly into the brain."

_This animal, this animal  
This animal, this animal  
This animal, this animal  
This animal_

Warhok was starting to get an inkling of where this was going. For the first time in years, Warhok, conqueror of worlds, a scourge of space, the bane of more then a few civilizations, knew fear at the hands of a Warrior less then half his size.

"That means, that if it happens fast enough, when you cut off someone's head, they can still see and hear you." The Warrior turned him to look at his own twitching headless body. The last thing he heard was the space cold voice close to his ear, telling him. "I warned you."

_So what if you can see the darkest side of me  
No one will ever change this animal I have become  
Help me believe it's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal I have become_

And the world faded to black for Warhok, Warrior of Lowardia.

After looking at the lifeless eyes of his enemy, Ron casually tossed the head aside. Looking at the crumpled form of his soul mate, he knew she would never look at him with her shimmering emerald orbs again. He had known it the instant Warhok had thrown her. Her neck at an unnatural angle.

He screamed his pain and frustration. Finished he looked at his dead and defeated enemies. Something occurred him. 'They conquered the world, no they've conquered worlds. And I conquered them. That means…'

_Help me believe it's not the real me  
Somebody help me tame this animal!  
This animal I have become_

Raising his arms overhead, holding the sword in his right hand, he laughed as he saw his arms and hands changed from the normal skin tone to a malevolent blue.

"Haha, hahehehe, ABOOYAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

* * *

In his bed, eyes twitching violently behind his eyelids with the unmistakable signs of REM sleep, Ron Stoppable tossed and turned in the grips of the nightmare.

As the vision reached it conclusion, he snapped awake with a scream. Looking fearfully around to see that he was in his room. Not the battleground the outskirts of Middleton had been three months ago. Not knowing what else to do and feeling terribly alone, he hugged his pillow to his chest and sobbed. He had been alone for close to two months, ever since he and Kim had split up. She just couldn't understand how he could have killed the Lowardians, and the fact he had no choice didn't seem to be a good enough reason.

The last mission they had gone on hadn't helped. Dementor, trying to take advantage of the chaos surrounding the aborted invasion, had tried another whack plan to capture the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer. When Team Possible had arrived to stop him, things got out of hand. Kim had been slightly off her game since the invasion, and Ron had been wound tighter than a lute string.

It started off fine, until one of Dementor's Henchmen had gotten lucky at the same time as Kim's focus slipped. Landing a hit with his stave, he slammed her into the wall hard enough to rattle her teeth. She was stunned, but she wasn't completely out.

That's when she saw Ron go berserk. In a span of two minutes, he had either brutally disabled or mercifully knocked out the remaining Henchmen. Then he turned his attention to Dementor.

Dementor had heard reports that 'The Buffoon' had defeated the invaders, but dismissed them as either fabrications or disinformation to frighten the villainous community. He was wrong. When Ron focused on Dementor, the short Bavarian came to the conclusion that, if anything, the reports had been understated.

Ron had taken one of the Henchmen's staves and was standing there holding it in an attack stance, eyes glowing a malignant blue. Dementor turned to run but he hadn't taken two steps before he felt something crash into his side with enough force to break his ribs. The next blow rang his steel helmet hard enough to dent it. The second blow had knocked him over onto his back. Looking up he saw 'The Buffoon' holding the stave over his head, ready to drive it through his skull when he heard a feminine voice scream, "ROOONNN."

Like a switch being thrown, the malignancy faded from his eyes, leaving a warm azure. Snapping his head to where she lay, he appeared to teleport to her side. He let go of the stave and moved so fast the he got there at the same time it hit the ground. Wrapping her in his arms, he cried, knowing she was safe.

Someone at GJ had leaked the video of the mission to the media, and while the newsies still got his name wrong, every single one their normal adversaries had gotten the message. Hurt Kim Possible at the risk of your own life. Because if you do, 'The Buffoon' would make you pay. Dearly. He was on video tape brutally and ruthlessly taking out a squad of Hench Co's best in less then two minutes without taking a scratch, bump or bruise. They might still have called him 'The Buffoon', but now they said it with fear. And only because they didn't know his name.

That was the final straw for Kim though. In their entire career no one had gotten seriously hurt. And in the span of less then a month, her partner had permanently disabled seven Henchmen, hospitalized another eight, sent Dementor to the hospital where they had to set his ribs and cut off his helmet to relieve the pressure on his brain and killed the two aliens.

She cut off all contact with Ron until they had time to think things over. That was nearly two months ago.

In the time since his only support had come from his Mothers brother, Roger. It wasn't that his parents didn't want to help, they just didn't know how. Uncle Rog had showed up one day about a week after the split. Ron hadn't seen Kim in 7 or 8 days by then and hadn't slept in longer. The nightmares were keeping him up.

Dragging Ron back to his place, Roger took him to the garage and slapped a wrench in one hand and a tall frosty beer in the other. When Ron looked at the beer funny, Roger said. "Shut up and drink it or I'll kick your ass. You cant be a shade tree mechanic without a beer."

"Mechanic? What are you talking about Uncle Rog?"

"This." with that short statement he walked to the far corner of the garage. He pulled a cover off of a car that had been there as long as Ron could remember. The car was so old Ron had no idea about the make or model. When he questioned his older relative about it, he got a weird answer.

"This is Elma Lee."

"Huh?"

"Don't ask. Really long story. But to answer your question, Ronnie. This is a 1964 Ford Galaxie 500, four door. Used to belong to your Grandpap. I drove during and after high school. She might not have been the fastest car in Middleton, but she always did me right. HEHEHE, check this out."

Roger went to the drivers side, opened the door and sat on the LONG, WIDE bench seat. The seat back had no head rests. "Watch closely." He reached to the side of the bench and pulled a lever causing the front seat back to lower until it was level with the rear bench. The result was nearly as big as a queen sized bed. "HAHAHAHA, like I said, she wasn't the fastest, but she always did me right."

"WHOA!" was the only response Ron could come up with.

"Dig this, Hehe, the guy your Grandpap bought the car from, yeah, he decided the original 390 wasn't big enough and replaced it."

"WHAT? What's in there then?"

"Take a look." Opening the hood, Roger could see Ron had no idea what he was looking at.

"Ronnie, this is 428 CobraJet. When I got the car, I took off the four barrel Holly and manifold. I replaced it with three Carter 400's. Triple Deuce. A Six Pack. 1200 Cubic Feet a Minute up top and a set of waste gate underneath, three/quarter cam, dual exhaust and a Dynatrack rear-end. This was years before turbos and computer chips. We made our power the old fashioned way. A lot a Cubes, a lot a air and a lot a fuel."

"Ol' Elma Lee here use to take off like a rocket sled. Her only problem was, she was a sled alright, a lead sled. She couldn't take a corner for shit. I always meant to give her to your cousin, but you know what happened there." And Ron did too, when he was about 7 or 8 his cousin had been hit by a drunk driver. And now while Roger might drink, he was rabid on the subject of DUI's.

Looking down the length of the car, Roger started getting nostalgic. "I met your Aunt in this car. Hehehehe, there's a good chance your cousin was conceived in this car." Roger was getting wistful now. "But when we got married, I had to park her. I couldn't afford the gas and insurance. I had a family."

Running his hand along the front fender, he continued, "I couldn't be driving around in a hot rod all the time. I almost sold her a bunch a times. But every time I thought about it, your Aunt talked me out of it. So now here she sits. Every year a little more rust, a little more dry rot, a little more deterioration."

Looking at Ron with a wide cheesy grin he said, "But your gonna help me change all that."

Wide-eyed, Ron looked back at his Uncle. "Uhhh, I don't know Uncle Rog, I mean, me and tools don't get along too well. Are you sure you want my help?"

Taking a long pull from his beer Roger gave Ron a hard look and pointing at him with the bottle. "Aren't you the one who nearly took over the world with the Mega Weather Generator. The one you built by yourself. Or built a catapult out of the shop classes table saw. Come on Ronnie, don't try to B.S. me. I know better. Now, lets get busy."

Roger gave Ron a set of coveralls to protect his clothes and forced Ron to do most of the work while he directed, explained and fetched. During that time they talked about anything and everything. A few hours and SEVERAL beers later, Ron could dimly remember Roger's question, "Hey Ronnie, don't you have a car?"

Ron was slurring badly by now. "Noooope, had a scoooooteeeer for while."

"Why not?"

"Can' ford one, use jus ride everwhere wid KaaayPeeeee." Sigh "Not ne more though."

"Hmmm, You got fifty bucks?"

Checking his wallet, all Ron found was two twenties and a five. Roger snatched the money, saying. "Good nough. Here." and he stuffed a folded piece of paper into Ron's wallet.

A little later Roger walked to the phone on the wall. Picking it up he dialed a number. "Steve, it's Rog. Hey, do me favor? I've been drinking, give Ron a ride home? 20 minutes? Thanks."

Pushing the switch to hang up, he released it and dialed another number. "Barb, it's Roger. Listen, I got Steve bringing Ron home… Because we been drinking, why do you think… Course I did… Yea, but I bet he sleeps tonight… Look, when he gets home just pour him into bed. Hehe, you might wanna leave a few bottles of water and some Tylenol on his nightstand… Yeah, I'll clean im up before I send 'im home. I'll swing by and pick him in the morning… Alright. Night Barb, I'll see ya tomorrow."

Hanging up the phone, he turned back to the car. Ron was laying across the fender with his tongue in the corner of his mouth, patiently trying to fit a distributor wrench through to remove the bolt in the hold-down. Without much success.

Shaking his head Roger called "Hey Ronnie." When Ron looked up all bleary eyed, chuckling Roger added, "Come on, let's get you cleaned up. Your mom will have my guts for garters if I send ya back looking like that." Thanks to the heat they had both removed their shirts. Ron was covered past the elbows in grease and grime. He also had streaks on his face and torso.

Ron followed to the outside of the garage where Roger had a sink installed under the carport. Squirting a liberal amount of GoJo into Ron's hands, he had him scrub the pumice loaded cleaner up to his shoulders. Using a milder soap they cleaned their torsos and faces.

Getting Ron out of the coveralls proved tricky, but Roger had experience with more then one bender. His wife went on one after the death of their son. He was two years straightening that out, while he was dealing with his own grief. They nearly divorced over it.

When Steve Barkin got there and saw the state Ron was in, he jokingly threatened Roger. "Rog, I oughta call Officer Hobble about this."

Gone was the affable Uncle Rog. In his place stood a grim figure with a military bearing. "Go ahead, I'll deal with it. The boy needed some sleep and something else to think about. Since that stupid female he was hanging with can't help him, I will!"

"Rog, I was just joking."

"Mnnnggggggg, I know. But I read the reports, what the fuck else did she expect him to do. The boy had no choice."

"I know, Rog. But she's all caught up in with 'Thou shall not kill', know what I mean."

Roger growled "That's not how the sixth Commandment translates from the Hebrew, and you bloody fucking well know it. It translates as 'Thou shalt not murder', there a difference."

"I know. Look, let me get Ron home. You've been drinking, you gonna be OK?"

"Steve, when's the last time you seen me stupid drunk?"

Barkin replied with a rueful grin. "Bout ten years."

"Yep, so what's that tell ya."

"Hehe, fine. See ya tomorrow?"

"Yeah I'll be here most of the day, except for when I go to pick up Ronnie to work on his car."

Barkin was stunned. "Rog, you didn't."

With a wide grin Roger answered, "Sure did. I had a friend of mine pop over, he's a notary. Title is signed, sealed and delivered. It's in Ronnie's wallet now."

"Rog, your wife would roll over I her grave if she knew you sold that car. She loved it as much as you did."

"Yes, she did. And, no, she wouldn't. And that's because I gave it to Ronnie. He might have only been a nephew in law to her, but she loved that boy, almost as much as our own son."

"Hehehe, alright, I'll see ya tomorrow."

"See ya later, Steve."

Barkin helped Mrs. Stoppable get Ron into his bed and pulled off his shoes. She thanked the ex-Marine for his help while muttering about nitwit brothers. For the first time since the invasion though, he'd slept through the night and into the morning.

He woke up with a blinding headache that seemed to be centered just behind his left eye. But other then the headache he felt better then he had in weeks. With all the junk in Ron's wallet, it was two weeks before he found the title. Stuck between some Bueno Bucks and a Smarty Mart Coupon.

But the nightmares were getting worse. And tonight had been the worse yet. So Ron curled up to his pillow and sobbed.

* * *

A few blocks away, a young woman sat in her bed, with her back to the headrest and her knees pulled to her chest. She was wearing a red and black hockey jersey and clutching a plushie. It was a weird mixture of a panda and kangaroo.

Both the jersey and the plushie were tokens of someone she thought she knew better then anyone. Better then her parents, her brothers, even better then herself. But did she really know him. After all, he had done something she would have never thought him capable of. He had killed other sentient beings. How could he have done that.

And the worst part for her was, as many times as she had gone through the sitch, she couldn't find a better solution. They aliens had stopped the worlds militaries, Shego and Drakken and her. The only one that stopped them was a goofy, tow headed young man. Even capturing them most likely would have failed, because they had the innate strength, skills and motivation to escape any cells humanity could have devised.

They had been given more then enough chances to leave and refused. They were bent on conquering the planet, and the only way anyone had found to stop them, was his solution.

This was more then a blow to her worldview. It shattered it. She had never been faced with the idea that the only way to win, was to kill. And she didn't know how to handle it.

She knew Ron was hurting. She had been at the campus last week, getting ready for the upcoming semester when a man, just above average height stopped her.

"Miss Possible, may I speak with you a moment?" From his look and bearing, he was either Military or ex-Military, and definitely blue collar. She recognized him from somewhere, but she wasn't sure where.

Kim was vain enough to know she was an attractive young woman, so when this older man approached her she was on guard. "Do I know you?"

"Not really, Ma'am, but you know my nephew. Ron. You need to talk to him. He's hurting, badly. And your cutting off your relationship like you did isn't helping things. He needs your help and support. Desperately."

Hearing the name of her best friend, partner and semi-ex, she didn't know what to say or do. Here was someone she didn't really know calling her on the very same things her parents and friends had mentioned. Monique had threatened try and steal him away. Bed him if necessary. What ever it took to help Ron. Barkin had been livid and told her that Ron was suffering PTSD and the thing he needed most was her support, and he wasn't getting it.

So she sat in her bed, crying for a loss she didn't know how to articulate and for the lack of a presence she needed and didn't have.

Unknown to the both of them help was on the way.

* * *

Crossing the Eastern Seaboard at 40,000 feet was a cargo transport. A huge Antonov 124. The largest regularly flying aircraft in the world. It was even bigger then the American C-5 with 25% more carrying capacity. This massive aircraft regularly flew around the world, delivering cargo to differing locations. Always flying to the west allowed to have a slightly higher ground speed.

To insure the maximum amount of air time it had accommodations for two flight crews, working in 12 hour shifts. They would spend one week on and one week off, switching crews at its home base near Hamburg, Germany.

It had left Hamburg, Germany earlier flying to one of only two scheduled destinations in the United States on this circuit. A base outside of Yuma, Arizona, where it would discharge most of it's cargo before flying on to another base near Seattle, Washington to fill the cavernous cargo bay again.

ETA to the Yuma base was oh-three-thirty with an expected ground time of 4 to 6 hours. The Chief had deadlined the front cargo door until he could make repairs. Either in the air or on the ground. Either way, it might slow them, but it wouldn't stop them. Most of the cargo was destined to remain in Yuma. But a tiny fraction of it and two passengers would leave the Yuma base and continue on to a small town in Colorado called Middleton.

A.N.

The car mentioned was real. Was my Grandmothers, bought by my Grandpa. And I did the exact same thing to it. I ruled the Drive-in in High School


	2. Born To Be Wild

**Song: Born To Be Wild  
****Artist: Steppenwolf  
****Location: youtube watch?v=G4wnrIJxlF8**

**Chapter 2 Born To Be Wild**

The sun had risen less then an hour before at an undercover Mithral base just outside of Yuma, Arizona. On the tarmac was a cargo plane unloading its' payload in the early morning heat. It wasn't even 07:30 and the temperature had already hit the high 70's. The clear desert sky let the sun beat down onto this isolated base so hard that by now you could already see the heat shimmering off of the tarmac. The only saving grace was no humidity. Like ants, the people went about unloading the massive AN-124 cargo plane.

If you've never seen the Anotnov-124, then you really have no idea how big the cargo plane is. From a distance it looks like any other large four engined aircraft. But as you get closer, you begin to notice subtle difference. Like the 20 wheeled main landing gear. Or the fact that the things moving around the base of the aircraft are not people, but TRUCKS. And that the tail looming nearly 21 meters (69 ft) overhead tops seven stories. About that time you start to ask yourself, "Just how big is this goddamn thing." Apartment buildings are smaller by an order of magnitude. They were built by the Soviet Union in a fit of pique and pride to rival and surpass the American C-5 for sheer flying bulk.

**Song: Born To Be Wild  
****Artist: Steppenwolf  
****Location: youtube watch?v=G4wnrIJxlF8 **

**Start**

This particular '124' was carrying no less then three CH-47 Chinook helicopters, a rather large aircraft in their own right, along with a multitude of other various cargo packed around the '47's' in the unused space. Like a whale giving birth, under the watchful eye of the Loadmaster/Crew Chief, the ground crew had just pulled the second of the three big helos down the rear cargo ramp. They maneuvered it to the left towards the hanger, where they would be given a new lease as Mithral Combat aircraft. The Chief was a no nonsense grizzled, leathery former U.S. Air Force Senior Master Chief. The man didn't take crap off nobody. A General might think he outranked the Chief, but outside of the cockpit, onboard the plane, he'd be wrong. By both custom and regulation, the Chief was the 'Boss'.

Just before takeoff from Merida Island, a bird Colonel tried to override some of the Chief's loading decisions. The Chief told him, "Sir, why don't you attempt aerial intercourse with a rotating pastry?"

The Colonel looked gob-smacked and must have needed a translation. "What did you just say, Chief?"

_Get your motor runnin'  
Head out on the highway  
Lookin' for adventure  
And whatever comes our way  
Yeah drivin' gonna make it happen  
Take the world in a love embrace  
Fire all of your guns at once  
And explode into space_

The Chief gave the Officer a long, hard look. " I was trying to be nice for the lady present. But I guess you didn't understand me, so I'll use plain language. Why don't you go take a flying fuck at a rolling doughnut, SIR? This is my bird, the pilots just fly it, and all you can tell me is what the cargo is. I decide when, where and how it gets loaded. And if I've got a good enough reason, I don't even have to load it. Now, are you going to be a passenger? NO? Then how bout you get the fuck off my bird, before I call the SP's, 'SIR'"

The Colonel left after threatening the Chief a few more time and the Chief returned to his job muttering about 'Pouges'.

_I like smoke and lightning_

_Heavy metal thunder  
Racin' with the wind  
And the feelin' that I'm under  
Yeah drivin' gonna make it happen  
Take the world in a love embrace  
Fire all of your guns at once  
And explode into space_

Seeing the that the Chinook had cleared the ramp, the Chief looked over his shoulder, gave a piercing whistle and waved another part of his load forward. Down the ramp, from the shadows of the cavernous cargo bay and into the early morning desert sun, came what looked like a child's toy 'Hot Wheel's', when compared to its' transport to the desert. It was a long, low, mean looking car that seemed to be painted almost a flat black. It was 'clean' '69 GTO with almost no chrome anywhere except the front grill. Even the rims were matte. Old fashioned 'Mag' wheels that were burnished instead of chromed. The windows were tinted so dark you could barely see shadows in the car.

_Like a true nature's child  
We were born, born to be wild  
We can climb so high  
I never wanna die_

_Born to be wild  
Born to be wild_

As it entered the sunlight, the color changed from the flat black to an almost bottomless indigo. Once the wheels touched the tarmac, where the Chinook had gone to the left, the car when right. The windows went down, letting out the smells of hydraulic fluid, jet fuel and the other sundry smells of any Military aircraft, while letting in the clean fresh desert air. The strains of Steppenwolf's 'Born To Be Wild' filled the area around the ramp. The windows hit the bottom of their track and the car laid rubber, until the traction control kicked in stopping the excessive wheel spin. White smoke followed the car as it left the bulk of the transport plane behind. Shaking his head, the Chief turned and headed back to the front of the plane to supervise both the movement of the last chopper and repairs to the front cargo door.

_Get your motor runnin'  
Head out on the highway  
Lookin' for adventure  
And whatever comes our way  
Yeah drivin' gonna make it happen  
Take the world in a love embrace  
Fire all of your guns at once  
And explode into space_

The car continued on, through the gate guarding the base and out into the desert. Taking mostly two lane roads in a generally North East direction at high speed, through the few curves like it was glued to the road and approaching 150 MPH on the ridiculously long straights. Approaching an intersection in the middle of nowhere, the car came to a halt. Glancing to the right the driver queried his passenger. She spoke and pointed to the right. Grabbing first gear the car power slid its way around and was now heading almost due east into the rising sun.

_Like a true nature's child  
We were born, born to be wild  
We can climb so high  
I never wanna die_

_Born to be wild  
Born to be wild_

Sousuke Sagara and Kaname Chidori had arrived in America.

* * *

A short time prior, just as the car was rolling down the ramp, Kaname was berating Sousuke about the lack of air-conditioning in the car. Glancing over at the passenger, he remembered something Kurz had said to Mao once. He told her "But there is air-conditioning, Kaname." When asked how it worked, he promptly hit the switches and rolled down both of their windows. Once the windows hit bottom, he snatched second gear so hard they left smoke in the air. Reaching 60 MPH and up shifting to fourth, he looked her dead in the eye with an innocent expression and said. "See, 2/60 AC. Roll down two windows and drive 60 miles per hour.

A growl was her only response.

"Seriously, Kaname. I considered it, but it was contraindicated with the tradeoff of power loss and added weight, considering the primary purpose the car was intended for. Allowing you to escape an enemy."

Looking at him coolly "So you didn't have it installed for me."

"That is correct, Kaname."

She gave him a half grin and said "Alright Sousuke. Your off the hook this time. But, we need to get it fixed. OK?"

"Understood. As soon as we are settled, I will look for a reliable, discreet technician for the installation. In the mean time I suggest we stay hydrated to prevent heat injuries." Sousuke had prepared for this in two ways. For himself, he had a CamelBak hung on the back of his seat with the hose and bite-valve draped over his left shoulder. For her, he had installed a small powered cooler behind the seats and filled it with her favorite drinks as well as a large supply of bottled water. He had even thoughtfully vented the cooler to the exterior of the car.

She reached back, opened the cooler and pulled a bottle of water from inside. Opening the bottle she looked over at the young Soldier beside her, reminiscing on how and why they were in America.

They had boarded the transport at Merida Island, having been flown there aboard one of the Chinooks now being unloaded. Eleanor, the cars A.I. had let her displeasure at the travel arrangements be well known until Sousuke had told her to put any complaints in writing. When Eleanor had promptly used the tiny laser printer to list her grievances, Sousuke looked over the list. "Hmm, I see. It's not a problem." Wadding up the paper and throwing in a handy trash bag. "Your complaints have been duly noted. They've also been round filed. Deal with it."

The duo and their car had been the major reason for the show between the Chief and the Colonel. The officer wanted the pair and their car located near one of the doors for instant departure at the Yuma base. The Chief needed the load somewhere else. The Chief won. As the Colonel stalked away, the Chief muttering 'Pouges', turned to his to charges for the next 36-48 hours. Looking them and the car over he said. "Look, this is going to be a long assed hop and don't think there's any way for the two of you to be comfortable in that car for that long. You two gonna be alright?"

Sousuke replied "We should be, Chief. We have a futon in the trunk."

Kaname looked horrified and started to turn a shade of crimson when the implications what he just said filtered in. The Chief just looked at Sousuke with wide eyes and a raised eyebrow. Then he guffawed "HEHEHe, a futon? 'A' futon? You really are fucken Japanese, aren't ya? I'm impressed!" Flipping through the manifest on his clipboard, "Tell ya what though. I think we can 'A' futon on the steel deck. We're changing flight crew outside of Hamburg, Germany. I think I can let ya have 'one' of the crew bunks." When he said 'one' he gave Kaname a wink, causing the blush deepen.

Sousuke, with no idea of the undertones of the conversation, replied. "That would be most excellent, Chief." Kaname was quickly beginning to look like a stop light. Sousuke just looked at her with his usual innocent, clueless look and told her. "This way you can take the bunk, Kaname. I will take the futon and remain nearby."

Kaname was caught between two conflicting desires. To either blush and pummel the Soldier or smile and hug him. The Chief had been around the block more then a few times. He even had a daughter in college. So caught everything Sousuke missed. "HEHEHEhehe, I think you missed the point boy! You got a lot to learn, don't ya."

Kaname piped up for her guy. "Leave him alone, Sir. He's doing just fine."

When the word 'Sir' left her mouth, Sousuke looked at her worriedly and a bit frightened.

The Chief just cocked an eyebrow at her and said, "First, I'm not a 'Sir'. I work for a living. An Officer I'm not. Secondly, hehehehe, I'm impressed again boy. You must be doing something right. Keep it up." When he said 'something', he winked at Kaname again. "And lastly I got at finish loading this beast. So you two climb back into your car and stay there until I come back and get ya. Hehehe." shaking his head he moved back to the rear of the plane, getting the crew to move faster through a mixture of berating, invective and cajoling.

Kaname smiled at the memory of crusty, gruff older man. "The Chief was an….interesting person." she hollered. By now Sousuke was really laying down the miles. With the music booming around them, the windows down and the engine winding out, it made for a noisy ride.

"The Chief is an excellent Loadmaster, and a good man. I liked him." Sousuke hollered back.

Up ahead was a 'T' intersection. Coming to a stop, Sousuke looked at Kaname and asked, "Which way?"

Looking at the monitor she indicated 'right'.

Sousuke allowed the 500 CID engine to overpower the rear wheels sliding them through the turn. Once they were lined up, he straightened the wheel and launched them to the east. They had a long way to go. From Yuma to New York, via Middleton, Colorado, then from New York back to Middleton. And classes started in less then three weeks. In that time they had to meet with Kaname's father, find living quarters, make arrangements with local authorities, and meet up with the subjects of the mission.

She remembered how she found out about their mission. Theirs! For the first time she was included in his world. Not as a subject or protectee. And not as a target. But as his partner. Just as she intended to make him her partner in life, Mithral had asked her to be his partner on the mission. Three weeks ago they had been called to a briefing to explain and expand on a set of orders Sousuke had received.

It was the morning after the first time they slept in each others arms. Sousuke as was his wont, had tried to get up at oh-five-hundred and head home to his apartment to prepare for the day. She grinned at the memory of how got him to stay until almost 5:30 without saying a word. She got him to stay after that with a playful threat until 6AM. At oh-six-hundred though, after telling her softly that he would call at 7:30, he went to his place and did all the things he does in the morning, exercise, checking his weapons and equipment, shaving and showering.

So when her phone rang at precisely 7:30, she knew it was him. Groaning she fumbled for the phone, hit the connect and mumbled "Morning, Sousuke."

"Good Morning Kaname."

"Sousuke, the only good thing about this morning left here about a hour and half ago."

"UHHHHHhhh."

She smiled at his response. "Relax Sousuke, you didn't do anything wrong. In fact you were just about perfect."

The "UHHHHHHhhhh." came again.

Shaking her head and sighing at how stiff he could be. "When's the meeting Sousuke."

The mention of the upcoming briefing snapped him out of his fugue. "The briefing is scheduled for ten-thirty hours, Kaname. It is a thirty minute drive there. So we need to leave no later then oh-eight-thirty."

Pulling the phone from her ear to look at it like it was him. Putting it back she asked, "And you want to get there an hour and a half early, why?"

"It was my intention to take you to breakfast on the way. The restaurant I have chosen is just a few blocks away from the briefing. We have reservations for oh-nine-hundred."

She felt her heart go pitter-patter at his thoughtfulness. "I'll be ready at 8:30, Sousuke."

"Roger, Kaname. I will meet you downstairs."

Hanging up the phone, she laid back enjoying the feeling of warmth and the scent of him that lingered. Snapping herself up, she thought, 'If I don't get up now, I'll be asleep again.'

Pushing up from the couch, she headed to the bathroom. Yawning, she scratched under her breast where bra had chaffed in the night and she thought to herself, 'What kind of moron only gives a girl an hour to get ready for a date? The Sousuke kind, that's what. Sousuke, you Idiot.'

At exactly oh-eight-thirty hours Sousuke was waiting for Kaname at the entrance to her apartment building. Knowing her habits he had allowed a 15 minute buffer in case she was late. At oh-eight-thirty-eight she appeared through the doors looking a bit flustered.

"Good morning Kaname."

"Grrrr, Sousuke, don't you know you have to give a girl more then an hour to get ready. At least an hour and a half for a breakfast date."

He knew what her answer would be, but he had to ask anyway. "I understand, Kaname. Should we cancel breakfast and proceed directly to the meeting then?"

"Hell no! I just spent the last hour getting ready. Breakfast is the least you can do."

"Very well then, shall we go?"

The combination of Sousuke's buffer and using the onboard sensors and navigation system allowed them to make up a bit of lost time. They arrived just in time for the reservations. Seventy-five minutes after they arrived at the restaurant, they were walking to the building where the briefing was to be held.

It was a seven story commercial building, with several other businesses maintaining offices there, Entering the building Sousuke noted the listing of other businesses on the roster hanging by the elevators. He was searching for any that Mithral Intelligence had listed as fronts for terrorist organizations. About a second into his task he realized something. 'Stupid, Mithral has an office here. Of course Intelligence has checked out the other occupants. Vigilance is one thing, obsession is something else.'

The entire episode occurred so fast the even an experienced Sagara watcher like Kaname didn't catch it. She just saw him pause and look at the roster. Taking the elevator to the sixth floor, they exited and approached the receptionists desk. Sousuke took note of the subtle, but very effective security measures in place around the lobby and desk itself. From the bullet proof glass and armor surrounding desk that would allow the receptionist time to sound the alarm, to the cleverly hidden gun ports and security doors to the rest of the floor that would give the defenders time to either repel an attack or destroy anything sensitive.

After passing the appropriate sheet through the slot and identifying themselves, they were directed to a conference room. When they got inside Sousuke was surprised to see a large round table and twelve chairs. Each with the same kind of holographic projectors used for international conferences. The room itself gave evidence to the seriousness of the briefing. There were no windows for laser mics to pick up the vibrations of. The walls were thick and covered with sound absorbing material along with the ceiling and floor. No one would be listening to the briefing from outside

Having been to more then one briefing, albeit not at this high of level, he directed Kaname to a chair at the six o'clock position of the table. Kaname didn't know what it was but something was twigging her Otaku sense. Something was bugging Sousuke, she didn't know what, but something.

"Sousuke, what's wrong?"

If she hadn't known him so well she would have missed the slightly panicky eyes. The last time he had been in a room like this, he had told the head of Mithral Intelligence where to get off. And although it wasn't really frightening, it was definitely worrisome.

"It seems, Kaname, that we are to be part of a high level briefing. Very high." Glancing around the room, he added. "This equipment is very rarely used at my level"

The chairs did not allow them to sit together, so she reached out and took his hand. "I'm worried, Sousuke"

"As am I, Kaname."

The door opened and Lieutenant Commander Kalinin entered leading an obviously fuming Tessa. Sousuke instinctively jumped to his feet shouting "ATTENTION ON DECK" Kaname had a bit of forewarning from the way he tensed his hand and was prepared. Kalinin evidently expecting it merely smirked. Tessa just as evidently didn't and jumped. Muttering an icy "As you were." moved to a seat at the three o'clock position.

Wanting to get some answers Sousuke started to ask "Madam Captain, do.." was as far as he got when Tessa answered in a glacial voice.

"You'll get all the answers you need in a little while 'Sergeant'"

In a quiet mollifying tone Kalinin spoke, "Madam Captain."

Sousuke could feel the hackles start to rise next to him as Kaname started to bristle. The last thing he needed was his new girlfriend and his commanding Officer butting heads. Two extremely strong willed females with him caught in the middle? No Thanks! Wanting to head off the incipient argument , he said, "Madam Captain, if I have done something to offend you, I apologize. However I would like to know what I have done."

Kaname had an idea of what he might have done. His starting a real relationship with her. And Tessa still carrying a torch for him. That was her idea of what was wrong. But she was mistaken. Oh, not about the torch part. Merely the cause of Tessa's anger.

Visibly regaining control of herself, she looked at Sousuke, her eyes softening a bit. "No Sergeant, I should apologize, this isn't your fault. But we do need to wait for everyone else before we can begin."

Glancing at his watch, he noted it was ten-thirty hours. "Do you know when they will arrive Madam Captain?" No sooner then the words left his mouth, the door opened again admitting the wizened, yet spry form of Sensei Toshimaru, carrying a narrow briefcase. Sousuke would have jumped again, but for the iron grip Kaname had on his forearm. The ancient man looked exactly the same as the last time she had seen him. Right down to the twinkle in his eyes. The man had something up his sleeve. And considering how voluminous they were, it could be anything.

He said, "Ah, good, everyone is here." Moving with such grace he seemed to float, he took a chair at the nine o'clock position, reached to the twelve o'clock and hit a sequence of controls there. Immediately the head of the table was occupied by the image of the 'feddy, feddy proper British gentleman' Lord Mallory. To his right was a very attractive older woman with short auburn hair. Her most striking feature though was the eye patch covering her right eye. Your could just see the scaring of the socket around the edges of the patch. She seemed to almost carry the scarring and patch with pride. Sousuke had seen the same from other Combat Veterans.

Looking around the table, noting everyone there, his gaze drifted to Sensei. In Japanese he said "Ishido-san, it's good to see you again old friend. How's the hip?"

"Hurts in the cold as always. But other then that, I'm doing quite well, Edwin."

"Even after all these years I still feel bad about that."

"Edwin, I have told you many times, the war in the Pacific was a long time ago. It was Combat and we were enemies. Karma, neh? Now we are allies and friends. Once again, Karma, neh?" Everyone in the room got the feeling they were seeing an old discussion.

Turning to his right Lord Mallory spoke English to the woman with the eye patch. "Forgive me Elizabeth, I forgot you don't speak Japanese. However if I don't banter with Ishido a bit, he's liable go all mystical on us, then we'll never understand what he says." Looking back at the rest of the group, he asked. "Would anyone object to English in deference to the good Doctor."

Seeing none he continued, "Excellent, shall we start with the introductions. To our front, the incomparable Sergeant Sousuke Sagara. One of Mithrals finest. On more then one occasion the Sergeant has pulled all of our fat out of the fire." Looking at the Doctor he added an aside. 'Once he even told General Amit, basically and in no uncertain terms to, what was that fascinating American term, oh yes, 'Get Bent'."

Snapping her head to the left at Lord Mallory, "WHAT!" then back to Sousuke with a hint of awe.

"You should have seen it, Elizabeth. He was simply smashing. I never saw the poor man more flustered. It was absolutely brilliant."

"Well, he's got guts, that's for sure." Looking at Sousuke, she said, "You've got some pretty big balls, kid. You'll need 'em."

Having no idea how to answer that Sousuke simply said "M'am."

"To continue, to his right, the lovely Kaname Chidori, Whispered and his shall we say, his partner in crime."

Glancing between Lord Mallory and Kaname, the Doctor asked, "Chidori, the same Chidori as…"

"Yes my dear, she is the daughter of Shunya Chidori. One of the Japanese representatives to the United Nations, specifically on the Environmental Bureau.

"I see. Pleasure to meet you Miss Chidori."

Kaname followed Sousuke's lead with a simple "M'am."

"To our left Teletha "Tessa" Testarossa, Designer and Commander of the Tuatha de Danaan, Whispered, and forgive me my dear, sister to one of our most dangerous enemies."

The doctor nodded to Tessa, "Pleasure Captain."

"The pleasure is mine, Doctor."

"Next to the Captain is Lieutenant Commander Andrei Sergeivich Kalinin, the de Danaan's Operations Director and SRT Commander, former Spetsnaz, and quite possibly one of the most dangerous men in the world. The Lieutenant Commander and Sergeant Sagara where once sworn enemies. Strange how life turns out isn't it."

Using the approved shorting of his rank, the Doctor greeted him. "Commander."

"Doctor."

"To our right, Sensei Toshimaru Ishido. Headmaster of the Yamminochi School. A combat martial arts school. Formerly a part of the Mithral Counsel and former holder of my own position as Head of the Mithral Counsel. And a very old friend of mine."

"I've heard a great deal about you, Sir. It's an honor."

Giving the woman a slight bow, Sensei told her, "The honor is mine, Doctor. As yours is the more difficult task. You are in the public eye after all. Whereas we are able to operate behind the scenes."

Lord Mallory continued, "Last and most certainly not least, I give you Doctor Elizabeth Director. Overall Commander of the U.N.'s public law enforcement arm, Global Justice."

"It seems that Global Justice has a bit of an issue. After speaking to Ishido-san, so does the YamminochiSchool. Also Mithral has one or two to add to the mix. Beginning with the young Sergeant."

Looking at Sousuke, Lord Mallory went on. "Are you aware young man, of the controversy surrounding you. Here we have a very good Combat Soldier that is neither in the field, nor being fully utilized. On the one hand, Mithral is short, desperately short of experienced Combat personnel, especially A.S. pilots, and in particular, pilots capable of operating Lambda Driver equipped units. Truth be told, that with out resorting to the use of possibly psychosis inducing drugs, we have exactly one. You Sergeant. Yet on the other hand you have several glaring deficiencies in your education. Many of us in Command and on the Counsel, myself included, feel that without higher education, you will begin to stagnate."

"Next, Global Justice has a very good agent. She has excellent hand to hand skills. You will note that I did not say Combat. She has good technical know-how, can think her feet and make plans in the field. She has a problem though. A naiveté about what the acceptable level of force is. She considers the death of anyone, even an enemy, to be a failure on the part of both her and her team."

Thirdly, Ishido-san has a…student?" Cocking an eyebrow at Sensei, "protégé?" Receiving a nod, he continued, "Protégé then, who, according to him, has the potential to become the greatest Martial Arts Weapons Master the world has ever known. He is an experienced field agent in his own right, who has comported himself very well several solo missions. He seems to bring a 'Chaos Factor' to the table."

Hearing the term 'Chaos Factor', Kaname, Sensei and Tessa all looked at Sousuke and grinned while Kalinin just smirked. Sousuke raised his eyebrows and looked around at the people smiling at him and said "What?"

"He is one-third," Lord Mallory paused, "or one-quarter, depending on how you look at it, of the same team as Elizabeth's agent. In his last major confrontation, he was forced to take a life for the first time. Two actually. And it has caused no end of trouble to himself and strife with the other major part of his team. The major problem is he lacks both the training and support to put the incident in the proper perspective. He is also prone to a vast amount of self-doubt, attributing his successes to either dumb luck or his partners actions. Never his own efforts. He has a rather severe lack of self-esteem."

"Lastly, there is a young Whispered. Brilliant boy, who has already finished college and is working on his second Doctorate. Both GJ and Mithral, for differing reasons, wish to put an additional layer of security around the young man. Especially in view of the fact that a good portion of his security measures have broken down."

"Something I heard many years ago seems to apply here. 'Sometimes, when you each have a problem, you have each others solutions.', and the way I see it, Mithral, GJ and Yamminochi can help solve each others problems. You, Sergeant, if you curb your more impulsive and incendiary tendencies by listening to the young lady are an excellent security operative, and you Miss Chidori, if you resist the temptation to dismiss the Sergeants misgivings out of hand, have the civilian knowledge to backstop the Sergeant brilliantly. Combined the two of you have the makings of an excellent undercover security team. Particularly in view of the relationship you are beginning to share."

Hearing that statement, Sousuke immediately got wide-eyed, where Kaname first blushed, then turned red with anger and started glaring at Sousuke. Tessa looked stricken.

"Please my dear, don't blame him. You both knew that Miss Chidori was under observation by the operative, Wraith. And I spoke with Wraith earlier today. Wraith passed me a report that the Sergeant spent the night at your residence. You are both over the age of consent and your choices are your own. Now, as I was saying, your personal relationship would make for an excellent cover."

Nodding to Sensei, the ancient man took a trio of folders and a pair of manila envelopes out of his case. He passed the envelopes with their names on them to the couple, as Lord Mallory asked with a smirk "How would the two of you like to attend college together?"

Stunned, the pair opened the envelopes. Inside were all the necessary documents for them to go to college in the United States.

Sensei then passed the three folders to Sousuke and Kaname, they looked at the names on the top of them. When they had just enough time to read the names, Lord Mallory added, "While your there you will have a mission. The vast majority of this mission will fall on your shoulders, Sergeant. However you will have a large part to play as well Miss Chidori."

"Sergeant, you will be attached to the local GJ directorate, under the personal command of Dr. Director. You will answer to no one else. That includes Mithral and the command staff of the Tuatha de Danaan. She will be responsible for your progress in your studies. She will see to it that you do not have a recurrence of the incident where your combat duties interfered with your schooling. The ARX7 is going to be detached from the Western Pacific Command and placed in a local GJ hanger. In an emergency, this will allow you to deploy."

"Also, she will have you assist on independent missions on an as needed basis. As well as working as a training officer for Global Justice A.S. operations. According to the tentative schedule, you will attend classes three days a week, two days a week you will be at Headquarters as a trainer. The remainder will be yours. You will have a heavy load to bear, however, you will have assistance. If necessary, she will provide you with tutors. All of your duties though are secondary to your primary mission."

For the first time during the meeting, the affable, easygoing Englishman disappeared, leaving a hardened Combat Leader. "Protecting the young Whispered boy and assisting both the GJ and Yamanouchi agents. Understand Sergeant, this is not a request, these are orders. Failure to follow them will result in your court martial."

"Miss Chidori, Mithral has no authority over you. However we are requesting your assistance. In return…" he pointed to the envelope in her hands. "Your duties will include assisting the Sergeant with his lessons in those classes where you overlap. Also, continue to train the way you have with your driving skills, firearms training, hand to hand. There is even a good chance that you will be able to assist the Sergeant with his primary mission. You also will be under the personal authority of Elizabeth Director."

"If either of you need assistance, ask her. She has agreed to support you in any way possible."

"Now I suggest we break for lunch and give Miss Chidori time to consider. Sergeant, you are allowed to take the files with you to look over them, but please keep them secure. You and Miss Chidori are the only ones allowed outside of this room to see them. Miss Chidori, I apologize, but we require your answer today. You may back out later if you wish. But if you decline, then the offer shall be pulled. Shall we reconvene two hours." Seeing agreement all round, the image of both him and Dr. Director vanished.

Looking down at the files she noted the names there.

Dr. Wade Load, Ronald Dean Stoppable and Kimberly Ann Possible

* * *

Through the rising heat of the desert, a '69' GTO thundered to the east heading to the interstate that would take them to Middleton, Colorado and their meeting with Team Possible.


	3. My Immortal

Thanks to pre-reader **Zephyr of Shadows.** He also suggested that I leave an A.N. telling you all to listen to the song starting from just before the lyrics start.

Reviewed for errors, updated and inks repaired 19FEB2012

**Song: "My Immortal"  
Artist: Evanescence  
Location: youtube /watch?v=cu7QvOQKcKk**

Chapter 3 My Immortal

Ron felt someone shaking him pulling him to wakefulness. He really didn't want to get up. It had been a long night. Smacking his lips he opened one eye to see Rogers smiling face.

"Get up, Ronnie. it's a great day, the skies are clear and it's only supposed to get into the 80's. Come on, we're burning daylight."

Ron turned his head and looked out the window. All he saw was stars in the sky. Looking at the clock he noted it was still before 5AM.

"Uncle Rog, I luv ya, and you've done a lot for me in the past few weeks. But if you don't have a good reason for getting me up this early, then I foresee mayhem in the future. God did not intend for people to be up this early, if he did, he would have turned on the light."

"Just get up boy, the trucks loaded, the boat's gassed, our poles have new line and hooks and the fish are calling."

"Fish? You got me up before God, for fish? You're joking." And with that Ron rolled over pulling the covers over his head.

Knowing he was still up, Roger told him, "Ronnie, I'm not gonna say it again. Next time 'ill be bucket."

Snapping the covers down enough to glare at his older relative. "You wouldn't dare." Roger just looked at him.

"Nnnnggggg, you would. Alright I'm up." Two weeks ago Roger done just that. When he tried to get Ron up one morning, Ron refused. Roger returned a few minutes later with a bucket filled with the water from the cooler in the garage. It wasn't ice any more but it was still pretty frigid.

When the water hit him, Ron left the bed like he was shot from a catapult, screaming bloody murder. Roger didn't have too much trouble getting Ron up after that. Usually calling him once was enough. Ron's mom and Kim both, would probably have paid money for the secret. Ron was a notoriously heavy sleeper.

"Good, I'll see ya downstairs. Breakfast 'ill be in ten."

For the last month, Ron had been staying at Roger's house. The move was for a couple of reasons. One was so he didn't have to waste time traveling before he got to work on Elma Lee. Another was to get him out of the familiar house. Because she was so torn up about losing her 'Big Brother' he had left Rufus there, moving his cage and EnviroTrail into Hana's room.

Roger insisted that they do nearly all the work on fixing the derelict automobile. They could buy all the parts and materials they wanted. But the effort, sweat and blood in the car would be theirs, mostly Ron's. Roger showed Ron what needed to be done and Ron executed. Every step of the way Roger explained what, why and how.

Little tips and tricks of the old fashioned hot rodder. Like using an iridescent pearl nail polish to highlight the timing mark on the harmonic balancer on the front of the crank. Or petroleum jelly instead of some product made for the purpose the prevent the corrosion on the battery posts. The jelly was just as effective at a fraction of the cost. Frugal Lucre would have been proud.

Ron was stunned when Roger poured a 20oz bottle of Coke into the washer along with their greasy clothes. "The carbonic acid in the soda helps break up the grease, and the soap pulls the grease and sugar from the clothes."

From that first night and over the next five weeks, everything unnecessary in Rogers garage found a home elsewhere to make room for the growing assortment of pieces-parts. The shop bench was covered with valve covers, rocker-arms, lifters, rods, valves, timing chain, gears and cover, springs, the massive heads, intake manifold, alternator, water pump. Everything that could be removed from the huge big-block.

Over time the walls came to have various body parts leaning against them. The first being the hood, followed by the doors, fenders, gas tank, front windshield, you name it.

They had pulled the 428 completely leaving a substantial hole that was the engine bay. Roger bought a new hoist and engine stand. His old ones weren't strong enough. Once they had the engine mounted, he turned Ron loose with the instructions that "if it's bolted, unbolt it, but be careful with the crank, I'm not sure we can replace it."

Once the block was denuded of everything, they carefully set the block, pistons and rods, crank, cam, heads and the intake in the bed of Rogers beat-up old Ranger and carted it to the speed shop. They left it all there with orders to have everything magna-fluxed, balanced and blueprinted, ported and polished.

Returning to the garage, they got started on the rest of the car. All the interior pieces went to the custom upholsterer. Then the transmission, driveshaft and rear axle were pulled.

Transmission to the local shop for inspection and servicing, the driveshaft and axle to the side for later. Next all the body panels and glass came off.

Ron, under Rogers tutelage, inspected the panels for rust and corrosion, marking the areas with florescent yellow spray paint. When Ron asked about the neon yellow paint, Roger told him, "You aren't bloody damn well likely to miss it now are ya? By the time ya get ready to paint it, you should have had a chance to sand, fill and prime it. If ya see any yellow, ya know ya missed something."

They were down to the frame and body from the firewall back when the Killigan mission came up. Ron was not amused. They were just getting ready to send all the body panels in for media blasting when Wade called.

Wade was covering for both Kim and Ron by screening the hits much more thoroughly then usual sending all but a mere handful to GJ. There hadn't been many in the first place Since the Dementor mission, it seemed the villains were trying to lay low and avoid Team Possible in general and 'The Buffoon' in particular. So Wade sent them to Ron reasoning he needed the work out more than she did. He was also more then a little pissed at her for dumping Ron like she did.

Killigan was trying some screwball golf scheme. Ron landed and boldly walked up the front door. Not bothering to knock, other then to knock it down, he walked into Killigans main workshop. Killigan turned and saw Ron standing there. Ron allowed the MMP to cause his eyes to glow, while he just 'stared' at the crazy Scot. It looked like blue smoke coming from his eye sockets. After a LONG moment of just staring, Ron asked him in a very quiet voice,

"Dude, do you know who I am?"

Killigan had seen the tapes. "Ya nananame escapes me at the mamamamoment, Laddie! Bubububut, I rrrecognize ya."

"Good, then you know what I'm capable of. Now, the past month and a half, hasn't been the best in the world for me." Gritting his teeth Ron continued "And I've had a really short temper. Now unless you want what I gave Dementor and his men, you will stop what ever it is that you're attempting, and Leave. People. Alone!"

"Not everybody likes golf, matter of fact a lot of people hate it, me included. Now, if I have to take time out of my day and come back here again, I'm going to level this castle, with you inside it. Is. That. Clear!" The whole time Ron had been stalking closer to Killigan and by the time he finished, he had backed the Scot into a chair and was looming over him nose to nose, with Killigan getting more and more frightened by the second.

"A A Aye, Laddie. I unnerstand." he stuttered

"Good, now since you never really got your plan underway, I'm going to let you go." Growling Ron said, "But if I have to come back here…." He left the rest hanging and just looked at the terrified Scot. Long. And. Hard.

Killigan nearly wet himself he was so frightened. But what he didn't know was that, no sooner then Ron boarded the GJ Hoverjet home, he threw up.

* * *

He had gotten in late from the mission, with another nightmare thrown in for good measure and here was Roger, waking him up before 5AM to go FISHING! Ron could already tell it was going to be a long day. But he didn't know just how long it was going to be.

Between the few missions, working his shifts at Smarty Mart, working on Elma Lee, cooking most of the evening meals and doing all the other things required like his laundry, showering and cleaning up after himself, Ron didn't have a lot of free time. So even though he was griping about it, he was looking forward to a day off relaxing.

He had decided to take at least a semester off from his schooling. Kim would have called it either lazy or he couldn't make a decision. But he had made a decision, to wait. It wasn't like any schools were beating his door down anyway.

So maybe a day on the lake was just what he needed after all.

* * *

Downstairs in the kitchen, Roger felt the vibrations of his cell phone, groaning he knew what ever it was would ruin the day. Looking at the caller ID and getting a 'Private Number' message he felt his suspicions were confirmed.

Hitting the receive button, he answered with his usual early AM greeting. "What? You're joking right? Nggggggg. He'll be down in about ten to fifteen minutes. Give us a few hours, let me get breakfast in him and I'll send him your way. Right. Out." 'It never rains, but it pours.'

* * *

Classes started in three weeks and since the split, she hadn't been on a single mission. She questioned Wade about it. He just said there wasn't any hits. Kim wasn't sure if she believed that. Since the formation of Team Possible, Wade had always been their first line of defense against spurious and counterfeit hits. He was also more then smart enough to deflect any that came their way, if he thought was for the best.

She had tried to get in touch with Dr Director to talk about the missions and the lack thereof. But every time she called she got that pompous ass Will Du. The conversations didn't last long. "Is Dr. Director there? No. Goodbye."

**Song: "My Immortal"  
Artist: Evanescence  
Location: youtube /watch?v=JB5PxVUn1-8**

No matter what she did, she couldn't stop thinking about him. His warm chocolate brown eyes, his freckles, the cowlick sticking up at the top of his head. Those ears she loved to hold during kissy face. She thought about what she had heard from various people. Her parents, Monique, Ron's Uncle. How could she face him. Even if she could come to terms with what happened, what about how she had treated him since.

She had run into Josh Mankey at the mall a few days ago. He must have heard through the grapevine that she wasn't seeing anyone and approached her asking her out on a date. The conversation hadn't gone as the artist thought it would. Josh did something even Bonnie knew better then to do anymore. With the first words out of his mouth he called Ron a loser.

"Hey Kim, since you dumped the loser, you wanna catch a movie together."

_I'm so tired of being here  
Suppressed by all my childish fears  
And if you have to leave  
I wish that you would just leave  
'Cause your presence still lingers here  
And it won't leave me alone_

Kim rounded on the unsuspecting Josh with a fury she hadn't felt since she found out about Syntho-drone 901 AKA Erik. She screamed at him, "Are you alive? Are you free to walk the streets? Can you go where you want when you want? Then you can thank one person, just one! Only one person was able to stop those aliens. Not the Army, not GJ, not Shego and Drakken, not MEEEEEE!"

_These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase_

"You can live your life because of ONE PERSON! RON STOPPABLE! You should be THANKING him. Not cutting him DOWN. He did what he had to. To save you, and me, and everyone else on this STINKING PLANET. And I swear before GOD that if you ever say something like that about him again….."

By now everyone in sight was silent, staring at the tableau before them. Everyone for a hundred feet had clearly heard what she said. And she stood there, tears streaming down her cheeks, hands clenched in fury, mouth closed breathing through her nose, visibly trying to regain her self-control.

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have  
All of me_

Through gritted teeth and with a quiet almost murderous tone that only Josh could hear, "I swear to GOD, I won't be responsible! Do you understand me, Mankey. You have no idea what happened that day has cost him, none! And if you can't talk about Ron with respect, then just shut the fuck up!"

The profanity shocked him more then her tirade. Kim turned and walked to the back of the store. With a cracking voice she muttered, "I need a break." to Monique as she walked past the other girl.

"Go, girl, I'll handle this!"

_You used to captivate me  
By your resonating light  
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind  
Your face it haunts  
My once pleasant dreams  
Your voice it chased away  
All the sanity in me_

Entering the storeroom she went to the back security room where they kept the prerelease items, entered, locked the door behind her and simply broke down.

Back on the retail floor, Monique moved on the artist with blood in her eyes. But where Kim's fury was white hot, Monique's was frozen. Like an Icelandic glacier, remorseless, pitiless, unstoppable, she advanced.

_These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase_

Getting nose to nose with the bewildered young man, with grinding teeth and in a hushed tone, she told him, "Listen here Mankey, Ron's my friend, and if you EVER dis him again, then when Kim is done stomping a mudhole in your ass, I'm gonna show up and bury what's left. This is a class establishment, and your not welcome here. Leave."

"But, she broke up with him, what's the problem?"

Monique didn't answer. She just backed up, looked around and spotted someone. "Security!"

Immediately two of the uniformed guards appeared. "Monique, what can we do for you?" They both already knew what was up and were itching for a reason to run the little turd in.

Glaring at Josh she snarled, "This person needs to leave the store. NOW!"

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have  
All of me_

Back in the storeroom Kim was a wreck. She just squatted on the floor with her back to the wall and sobbed. Something had occurred to her just a few minutes ago. One of the reasons she had such a hard time with what happened Graduation day was that Ron had beaten an enemy she couldn't. Her goofy partner, the guy who would spout off with random thoughts at the most inappropriate moments, the one who lost his pants at the drop of a hat, her Ron had defeated someone that defeated her.

_I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone  
But though you're still with me  
I've been alone all along_

That meant Ron could beat her!

For their entire lives, she had always been the dominant one, Ron the subordinate. She lead and he followed. That's just the way it was. Like the sun rising in the east. Now there had been a paradigm shift. In the back of her mind she had always suspected it was possible. That was why she'd always called him 'Potential Boy'. But she never really expected to see it.

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have  
All of me  
Me_

And here it was. Potential realized.

* * *

Ron was walking down the street heading to the closest fast food place. He didn't care which one as long as it wasn't Buenos Nacho. Since the split, just the thought of going back to the place where he had spent so much time with Kim made his heart ache.

He was still receiving the royalty checks with his father as the trustee. His father authorized a release of funds for Elma Lee. Ron had set down with him and they discussed the use the money would be put to.

The agreement they reached was Ron was allowed to spend anything necessary for the car, but little else. Ron brought the receipts to his dad weekly and they went over them looking for anything extravagant. His dad raised an eyebrow at a few of them, but after talking to Roger, he came to the conclusion that while expensive, a set of Edlebrock headers were actually the best value.

Uncle Rog had canceled the fishing trip because 'something' was wrong with the truck. Roger had asked Ron to walk up to the auto parts store and pick up a voltage regulator for the Ranger and on the way there grab some grub somewhere. That didn't make sense though, because he was pretty sure the alternator for the truck had a built in regulator, so why didn't he ask for an alternator.

Ron was dragged from his musings by the ground opening up and swallowing him. GJ had struck again.

* * *

At almost the same time, in another part of town, a few people were surprised when they saw Kim Possible there one moment and gone the next. Almost like the ground opened up and took her.

The transport tubes deposited them in a briefing room with each other and three and a half other people. One was the eye patched visage of Dr. Director. The half was Wade on the large central monitor. The other two looked Japanese and immediately Kim had visions of Yori.

The female was a little taller then her and had curves to put Bonnie's to shame, easily. Her hair reached her backside and was so black it appeared to be a blue. She was relaxed, sitting in a chair facing away from the table towards the tubes.

The male was standing beside her in a position of Parade Rest or At Ease. With obvious military training, he was average height with a lean build, had almost black hair, a cross shaped scar on his left cheek and piercing steel-gray eyes. Kim could instantly sense his mind working, assessing, calculating the physical abilities both her and the person beside her.

Looking to her right, her heart leapt into her throat. It was Ron. He was in a tank top and cargos. His arms had bulked a bit in the last five or six weeks. 'He been working out?' He spotted her and with more then 14 years experience she could almost read his mind. In his eyes she saw pain, anguish, fear and anger. Most of it directed at her.

When Dr. Director addressed them, Kim felt a knife in her heart. Every other time the two of them had been there, Dr. Director had shown respect to the both of them and Ron in particular by addressing them as "Team Possible"

"Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, GJ needs your assistance."

* * *

The rain the night before had washed the streets clean and left a sweet summer nights smell in the air. A half an hour ago the storms had moved off leaving a clear cloudless night sky with the Milky Way prominently visible.

A flat black 69 GTO prowled the streets of Middleton, Colorado after 5AM, with the lyrical refrain of 'Gimme Shelter' emanating from the interior. 21 hours after it's departure from the Yuma base, the driver was definitely cranky and the passenger was rattled. Who would have thought environmental conditions beyond his control would have put her in such a vile humor.

They hadn't been on the road but a couple of hours when the heat climbed past 98 degrees. It was more then Kaname could take. He had wanted to drive straight through and arrive last night. Kaname vetoed that idea.

They were looking for a place to eat about noon when she saw the hotel. She didn't say anything at the time, but she had already decided what she was going to do. After they ate, she headed to the drivers side of the car. Sousuke didn't even blink. It was her car after all.

What had him blinking though was when she stopped at the entrance to the chain hotel.

She parked, got out saying, "I'll be right back", and walked in leaving a bewildered Sousuke in the car. Coming back a few minutes later, she got in, drove to the other side of the building and parked again. Sousuke was definitely confused now. Settling herself in the sweat slicked seat, she turned and looked at him.

After a moment she said, "I'm not riding another 10 to 14 hours in this heat. I'm not riding another hour in this heat. I rented a room, so here's what we're going to do. We're going to go inside, clean up, and go to sleep. Especially the cleanup part. We were on that plane forever and I want a long hot shower."

"Then later on tonight, when it's not, as Melissa said, hot as the hinges of Hell, we'll continue driving. With all your Otaku survival skills, you should know enough to travel at night in the desert. Is there any part of what just said you don't understand?"

Sousuke had enough experience with Kaname to perceive the tiny danger signs. The twitching eyebrow, the clenching hand, the gritted teeth smile. He decided appeasement was the best course "I understand, Kaname. You're right, I should have thought of that. I apologize."

With her point made and plan accepted, she smiled at him and said, "Good, let's get our bags."

"Just a moment, Kaname."

The twitching eyebrow made an instant return until Sousuke started to address the A.I.. "Eleanor, how are your power reserves." Unlike most Artificial Intelligence's, Eleanor did not have any kind of reactor. She operated off of the vehicles electrical system and needed constant recharging. If she wasn't going to be driven for more a few days, she either had to shut down completely or be plugged in to a power outlet of some kind.

The melodic feminine voice asked Kaname "How long a stay are you intending, Kaname? If you plan on more then 12 hours, I will need to shut down, otherwise I have reserves for a minimum awareness standby. Similar to a 'catnap' in a human, if anyone tampers with the chassis, I can be fully aware almost instantly."

"What do you think Sousuke? Leave about 8 or 9 tonight?"

Sousuke ran through some quick STD (speed/time/distance) figures. "We are supposed the meet the Commander at oh-seven-thirty. If we leave no later then twenty-one hundred, we should be there with enough time to spare for breakfast somewhere."

With a huge 'Kaname grin' she said, "Great, let's get out of this heat, I feel like I'm melting."

Sousuke was hard pressed to keep his eyes off of her though. The sweat had soaked her tee-shirt and it clung to her like a second skin. She noticed him noticing her, but she didn't mind. It had taken forever for him to relax enough to do that, and she wasn't about to cause a relapse of the 'stiff and proper' Sousuke. She liked the improving one too much to do that.

Now while she wasn't going to berate him for it, teasing was different story. Only problem was, she had discovered Sousuke learned FAST. 'Should I do it? It could backfire. Why not!' Stretching her arms over her head, she said, "This shower's going feel so good. Especially after that one on the transport. I didn't think they could make a shower that small. And three minutes? That's barely enough time to get wet."

Opening her door and getting out of the car, she pull the drivers seat forward, reached into the back and grabbed her bag. Looking at Sousuke out of the corner of her eye, she saw him flustered and nearly blushing. Grinning she almost purred "Yep, what I need more then anything right now is a loooong, hhhhhooot shower."

"UUUUUHHHHhhh"

Shutting the door, she headed to the entrance with an added twitch to her hips and a grin on her face that stretched ear to ear. Opening the door she made a bet with herself as to how long he would remain in his stupor. She figured twenty to forty seconds. It was about thirty seconds before Sousuke's brain restarted. Waiting until she saw signs of consciousness returning, she hollered "We're in room 214, hurry up." She was pleased that she knew him so well.

Shaking his head, he got out of the car in a hurry, grabbed his own luggage, consisting of both his clothing in a shoulder bag and his weapons duffel, and dashed to the door.

Entering the room, the first thing Kaname did was turn on the AC full blast. Even if it got cold in the room, she could always curl up to him. After showering, (separately, although she teased him about needing her back scrubbed) they climbed into the bed. Kaname dropped in to a deep sleep and Sousuke did his normal catnaps. This was his normal routine when ever he slept anywhere new.

Nine hours later they were up, showered again, ate in the same restaurant as before, gassed up, and putting miles behind them. Eleanor had her avoidance systems running and Sousuke kept his speed below 100 when the speed limit was 70.

Three/quarters of the way there, Kaname offered to drive. She had slept most of the way and was wide awake. Just as she planned, That was the beginning of the problems. They stopped to fuel up, and Kaname took over. No sooner then she got them back on the road, it started to drizzle, then it started to rain, then it started to pour.

Before long it was raining so hard the only reason Kaname was still able to move was Eleanor's projected heads-up display. They had gotten off the interstate some time before and were almost due east of Middleton, heading there on twisty curvy two lane roads.

Kaname had laid out the route and had planned to have a little fun on the way. She had been intending to drive this stretch since the decision to come to America.

Sousuke realized he had created a monster shortly after giving her the title to the car when she got her first speeding ticket.. She had gotten caught in town and there was NO WAY to get away from the little cruiser that clocked her doing 100KPH in a 60KPH.

Her intention here was to open the car up to the limit and see just how much she'd improved since Sousuke started giving her lessons months before. The Kami's had decided that it wasn't to be though. So they opened up the floodgates, and down it came.

And it was all SOUSUKE'S FAULT!

How this was true, Sousuke had no idea, but he just kept his head down and his mouth shut, trying to prevent making her anymore irritated. The skies cleared they were less then an hour from town, and this made Kaname even more irritated. Like someone set it up just to ruin her plans..

Stopping at a little diner they got breakfast, then went to the gas station. Kaname had picked up Sousuke's habit of filling the tank when ever the chance arose. Leaving with a full tank, full cooler, and empty bladders, she drove to the address given to them by Dr. Director. It was still very early and there didn't seem to be much traffic in that part of town. Seeing no where else to park, they left Eleanor on full alert and went to the front door.

Before they got there, the ground opened up and they fell through some kind of trap doors.

At the bottom of their fall, they were ejected into a room. Sousuke rolled like a tumbler coming up into a crouch, Glock in hand. Kaname lacking Sousuke's combat skills, and knowing it, threw herself with her back against the wall in a crouch of her own, and pulling her BDA .380. She knew, instinctively, the best thing she could do was watch Sousukes back and stay out of his fields of fire.

"EVERYBODY DOWN!" She couldn't comprehend how he remembered to use English.

Sousuke only seeing one person in the room, covered him. "_Kaname-san?_" The use of the suffix and something in his tone told her 'Japanese'

"_Daijoubu_." (depending on inflection 'are you/it's/I'm alright')

"_Yosh, dozo machimasu, wakarimasuka._" (good/OK, please wait there, understand?)

"_Yokai._"(Slang, basically 'roger')

Never having taken his eyes from the good looking man in a uniform of some kind, he reverted to English, "On your knees, hand on your head, NOW."

When the man started reaching for his watch, Sousuke fired a round that grazed the mans ear. "Next one's through your skull. On your knees, hands on your head."

"Do you know who I am, I'll have you behind bars for this."

"Failure to comply will result in death. Last warning."

Reluctantly the man complied.

"_Kaname-san._" Sousuke looked from the man to her and back again. She got the message.

"_Hai._" she turned her weapon to cover the kneeling man.

Once she had him covered, Sousuke, staying out of her line of fire, moved behind him and forced him prone. "Interlace your fingers behind your head, cross your ankles and raise your feet off the ground."

The door opened then. Kaname as always, trusting Sousuke in a combat situation, kept her BDA pointed at the captive man as Sousuke whirled to confront the new threat.

Only it wasn't a threat. It was Dr. Director. Looking down the barrel of a loaded weapon was something she had done before, but she never expected to have to do it in her own headquarters. She went wide-eyed for a second before she figured out what happened.

"I gather Agent Du failed to follow my orders to contact you first, Sergeant."

Holstering his weapon, he told her, "Commander, Miss Chidori and I were approaching the specified location when we dropped in to this room. Not knowing the situation, I took action safeguard both her and myself. I apologize for any inconvenience."

"Don't worry about, Sergeant. Good morning, Miss Chidori. Would you please release Agent Du?"

By now Kaname had gone from startled to frightened to mad and hadn't stopped covering the prone agent. "Why?" she growled. "This moron pulled the ground out from underneath us, scaring me out of my wits. I don't like that."

"Because I asked you. And because I need him. When he restrains himself, he's actually a decent agent."

"Fine You, get up." when Will complied, she grabbed him by the front of his coverall uniform, got in his face with the BDA stuffed under his jaw and said, "Look moron, I've been kidnapped, more then once. Had some crazy woman try to experiment on me. Almost killed on more then one occasion. And had to deal with lunatics trying to do more of the same. So I'm just a little twitchy."

Tossing her head to indicate Sousuke. "And him, your lucky to be alive. I'm honestly surprised he didn't shoot you out of hand. For your future health, I suggest you take all that into account. You got that?" Then she shoved him away from her with surprising strength.

Will Du, the 'Top Agent' of Global Justice first stumbled back, then stood there glaring at the two of them and Kaname in particular. Sousuke was starting to get a grim look on his face when he looked at Dr Director. Closing her eyes, she nodded and murmured "Just don't kill him. I DO need him."

Sousuke out of Will's line of sight pulled a flash/bang, armed it and tossed it behind the fuming agent. Kaname saw it coming and counted down from 5. At one and a half she closed her eyes tightly, covered her ears and opened her mouth. This wasn't going to be pleasant, but maybe it would get through to this idiot.

Dr. Director had left just as Sousuke pulled the stun grenade and Sousuke followed suite with Kaname. He WASN'T about to leave. If she had to go through this, at his hands, then he damn well better go through it with her!

The flash/bang went off, knocking Will Du unconscious and Sousuke and Kaname to the ground. Even when you expect it, stun grenades are just that. Stunning! The couple shook their heads to clear their vision and the ringing.

Sousuke was the first on his feet and helped Kaname up, with a bowed head he apologized quietly in Japanese. "_Gomenasai Kaname-san._"

Patting him on the cheek "_Daijoubu, Sousuke-kun._" she switched languages "This idiot deserved it."

Dr. Director looked around the edge of the door and asked, "All Clear?"

Sousuke instinctively replied "Clear!"

"I'm sorry about that. I gave orders that you were to be contacted before pulling you down the transport tubes. Guess Will didn't listen."

"Please make sure he understands in the future, Dr. Director. Next time I'll hurt him, not to mention what Sousuke's likely to do."

"It's Betty, and I'll do what I can. Come on, I think a cup of tea would go well right now. Edwin sent me an excellent Oolong."

* * *

Three hours later the couple were waiting in the conference room, Kaname sitting with her legs crossed and Sousuke standing beside her 'At Ease'. feet about shoulder width apart hands clasped in the small of his back, when two people 'dropped in'.


	4. Lancing The Wounds

As most fans of my tales can tell you, I'm generally not one for long Author's Notes. I think it was only three or four in twenty-two chapters for 'You've Got Another Thing Coming'. Mostly it was just acknowledgements to pre-readers/sounding boards. But after the last few reviews, it's necessary.

To Sentinel 103(Larry)

Sorry Dude but Ron's picked up a 64 Galaxie 500. The GTO and the A.I. Eleanor is a character from my previous story 'You've Got Another Thing Coming' belonging to Kaname Chidori. Check it out. :D

To screaming phoenix

I wish, I really wish I owned the characters of Sousuke Sagara and Kaname Chidori. They are from the Anime, Manga and novels 'Full Metal Panic' by Shoji Gatoh sensei Both have grown and changed from canon through my previous story, to be introduced here. It's not that they are necessarily the Japanese 'Team Possible'. But more the fact that what they have gone through together has forced Kaname to take on some of Sousuke's aspects. The last couple of years for her have been intense with people trying to capture her to use her for the knowledge buried in her head. Google or Wiki Full Metal Panic for a synopsis.

And, to all of my readers

Some people use a "songfic" and try to force the song into the story. I don't. When I use a particular song/lyrics it's to set/emphasize the scene and tempo. I have the song playing on repeat while I'm writing and try to map the scene around the music. A framework. Like in Chapter 3, beginning when the scene moves to Kim and her confrontation with Josh with the forlorn lyrics of 'My Immortal' sung by the haunting voice of Amy Lee playing. Or we shift to Kaname and Sousuke and they have 'Gimme Shelter' by the Rolling Stones in the car. It's intended that you listen to the song as you read for a more emotive punch. And, I think it works. You tell me. I have one story and a one-shot completed. And, yes, that's a blatant plug. R&R. From now on, I'll have song title and artist so you can find it. Probably on the 'tube. I'll even revise the first three for y'all.

I wanted to get the AN posted to clear up some of the confusion. To make it up to y'all, here's what I have for Chapter 4 as a teaser. Things get interesting now.

Chapter 4 Lancing The Wound

After hearing the assistance request, Ron started getting torqued. His temper had been getting worse and worse ever since the invasion attempt. "Man, do you people have any idea how much I hate it when you do that. I mean, is it too much to ask for some kind of warning or maybe a phone call." Reaching into his cargo pocket he pulled out his cell and started brandishing it like a weapon or talisman. "Look, I have a cell phone, it works. And I'm pretty damn sure if you dial the number, it'll ring. If dialing the number too much like work, ask Wade. He's got it on speed dial. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm kinda busy. I have get the parts store to get a voltage regulator for an '89 Ford Ranger. Where's the exit?"

Ron started heading back to the transport tubes before anyone could stop him, when a quiet, accented, masculine voice said. "Stoppable-san, you will **sit down** and listen to what the Commander has to say."

Ron stopped in his tracks. Turning just his upper torso to face the voice. "Say what? I don't think I heard you right."

Kim was starting to get worried and so was Dr. Director. Both knew just how dangerous Ron could be. Without thinking about it, Kim moved to support Ron by separating from him to his right and slightly closing the range to Sousuke. Kaname just eased the Taser Sousuke had given her in lieu of her BDA to a more accessible position. She had already picked her target, Ron. Kim she left to Sousuke.

Sousuke never shifted from his 'At Ease' stance and very calmly replied, "I said, you will **sit down** and listen to what the Commander has to say. Was that clear enough?"

"Dude, I've pretty much given up in doing what people tell me to do. Never got me anything except for being called a loser or buffoon or sidekick." Tilting his head in Kim's direction, he continued, "Ya know, I went all over the world with her. Helping people, stopping bad guys, "saving the world.'" he added with finger quotes. "And through it all, I was generally frightened out of my mind. And ya know what, I got called names like Don Poppable or Rob Stackable, never my own. I mean it's not like it a hard name to remember. Ron. Stoppable. See, it's easy." Gritting his teeth, "But people keep getting it wrong."

"Now, I wasn't doing it for the recognition. I did it because it was the right thing to do. And I promised I'd have her back. But after a while, it gets to ya. And now it's gotten to me. So, like **I said**, I've pretty much given up in doing what people tell me to do. Now if you'll excuse me."

"My orders do not include your death. You can sit down and be conscious or we shall have to wait for you to regain consciousness."

"Hehehehe, and just how do you propose to make that happen?"

"Easily." Sousuke shifted his stance to the left away from Kaname. Both Ron and Kim were so focused on him they never thought to pay attention to the female to his right. When Ron moved into an aggressive stance, Kaname tased him.

Mystical Monkey Master, Chosen One, Warrior Hero, Partner, these were all things Ron had also been called by very select few people. But he was also a human being. And when a human gets hit with 50,000 volts, they drop. They drop to the ground and twitch.

Which is exactly what Ron did.

"ROOONNNNN." Kim, thinking it was Sousuke that dropped Ron, started to attack. But before she could close to hand to hand range, Sousuke's Glock appeared like magic. She froze, glaring at him through slitted eyes. Looking for an opening.

"This is loaded with rubber bullets, they won't kill, but they will hurt and most likely knock you unconscious." Waving her to a chair at the table, "If you would please take a seat."

"You're awful polite for someone about to get his biscuit kicked." she growled.

"He means something to you? According to the reports I've read, you are no longer together."

"Doesn't matter, we were best friends for twelve years before we were a couple. The fact we're having a rough patch doesn't change things. If I get the chance, I'm soooo gonna give you a serious beat down."

Dr. Director interrupted, "Perhaps, we should tend to Agent Stoppable first, Agent Possible. He will be alright in a few minutes."

When she mentioned Ron, Kim instantly shifted focus, going to the side of the still twitching Ron, pulling his head into her lap, brushing the hair out of his eyes. She absently noted he needed a haircut. It was then what Dr. Director said sank in. "Wait, Agent Stoppable? And me, since when are we a part of GJ."

"Since the first mission you took under our auspices. To protect the two of you on GJ sanctioned missions, you both carry a Reserve status, as does Dr. Load."

Kaname stepped beside Sousuke, sighed and said, "I saw his eyes flash, then you moved. I wish I didn't have to do that. Sousuke, I really hate it when your right about things like this."

**********

Twenty minutes prior they had been waiting in the conference for the return of Dr. Director and the arrival of their assignments when he very quietly asked. "Kaname, considering the actions of Agent Du, what do you think the chances are he did the same to them."

"OOOOOhhhh Noooo, pretty good, I'll bet."

"That would be very bad, Kaname. With his abilities and emotional issues, Stoppable-san could easily be very dangerous. And Possible-san would be right behind him. From the reports, I doubt seriously, they would fight each other in such a situation."

"We need to warn Betty, now."

"I agree, but she said she would return just before they arrived here. But we need to have contingency plans, just in case."

"You are NOT going to shoot him with rubber bullets. You hear me Sousuke."

Grim and miserable was the expression at his next words. "No Kaname, I'm not." he just looked at her.

"NO. HELL NO. I'm not doing it. Anyway, you know I'm not good enough to shoot like that."

He still had that look that said 'I don't like it, but I have to do it.' "I wasn't suggesting a gun Kaname. Besides, you would have to use mine, we don't have the rounds for yours. But you do know how to use a taser.

Kaname was instantly transported to a rainy night on a roof top when she was running for her life, the assassin Yu Lan hot on her heels. Losing the killer for a moment allowed Kaname to set up a trap, baited with her bath robe. The only article of clothing she had left besides her panties. She got the drop on Yu Lan and dropped her with the only weapon she had. A Taser.

"GRRRRrrrr, yes I do"

"We need to make sure he is under control quickly, either his own or externally imposed. But he must be under control. A person suffering from extreme PTSD could become extremely violent with the slightest of provocations. And if, as I suspect, Agent Du has not warned them, things could get very ugly, very fast. As long as she is outside of hand to hand range, I can handle easily Possible-san. But Stoppable-san is another matter."

"I'm sorry, Kaname. But you are the one that will have to be ready. I will try to draw his attention. Just be prepared if I move away from you."

"I don't like this Sousuke."

"Neither do I Kaname, neither do I."

He handed her the Taser, and waited beside her chair. Just as Betty entered, the screen behind them winked to life revealing Wade. "Hi Dr. Director."

"Dr. Load, it's good to see you again."

"Betty, I think…." was as far as she got. Kaname had just started to ask about the warning for Kim and Ron when she heard the tube activate. Closing her eyes and taking a breath, she thought to herself, 'Here we go.' and turned to greet in incoming transport.

Looking down at the figures of Kim and Ron, she added, "I mean, I really hate it."

**********

Ron hit the bottom of the transport tube just as the vision struck. He had seen the Japanese pair in front of him. Kim standing beside him. His justifiable outburst. And the words that followed. The taser hitting and dropping him like a sack of rice.

The vision hit so hard he dropped to the ground. He laid there for a moment trying to clear his head. As his sight cleared he started to see the shapes of people. They resolved into an auburn head with emerald green eyes looking into his. Behind the head, he could see the rest of the group, watching worriedly.

As his mind cleared he started glaring at the couple standing close behind Kim. "You two were going to zap me."

Sousuke looked at Kaname for a second and Kim questioned, "Ron."

"She has a Taser, she was going to use it on me at his orders."

"I see the visions Toshimaru-sama predicted have started, Stoppable-san. Yes, she does have a Taser, and yes either her or myself would have used it."

Dr. Director broke in with a snarl, "Sergeant, you have about 30 seconds to explain yourself."

"First a question, Commander, you said you gave orders for Kaname and I to be informed before pulling us through the transport tubes. Correct?"

With a grim look she answered, "Yes."

"Am I correct in assuming you did the same for them?" he indicated the figures on the floor.

The grim look was replaced by a quizzical one, "Yes, as a matter of fact I did."

"And who did you issue those orders too?"

"DU! But that still doesn't explain what he's talking about."

"I have my orders M'am, from Toshimaru-sama."

Kim had been listening from the floor with a recovering Ron, "ORDERS, you mean someone gave you orders to try and electrocute Ron."

"Stoppable-san is far stronger then almost anyone gives him credit for. You in particular." She felt that like a slap to the face. "You should recover quickly, Stoppable-san."

"Oh, I will, but you dude, you, are going to be in a world of pain when I can get up"

"Fine Stoppable-san, when you recover, if you wish, we can go to the Dojo and beat each other senseless. As long as you refrain from using your powers, I will remain unarmed. But until then you need to listen. Toshimaru-sama told me you 'had a hard head, and I would have to get your attention.' because you can be random. And we don't have time for random."

Kim helped Ron into a chair at the table when Ron glared at Sousuke and asked, "Just who's this Toshimaru-sama you keep babbling about."

"He is the headmaster of the Yamminochi School in northern Honshu, Japan."

"Master Sensei? Alright, you have my attention, and a stay of execution. Talk."

"How are you sleeping?"

Ron grimaced a bit "What. Fine, what's it matter?"

How's your temper, been having trouble controlling your anger? You get irritated much more easily then before don't you?"

"Dude, I don't have any trouble controlling my temper, when people **leave me alone.**" he growled.

Sousuke looked at Kaname and said, "I understand what you mean when you say 'Someone can't lie to save their life' now, Kaname." Sousuke turned his attention back to Ron. Calmly, quietly and yet relentlessly, he started to bore in.. "And your lying, Stoppable-san. Your entire appearance screams sleep depravation. Your getting 3 maybe 4 hour a night. You try to stay awake, but eventually, you doze off. Then the nightmares come. And you see them again. The faces. The victims. Yours or maybe theirs, but you still see them. Sometimes you failed to stop them. You were just an instant too late. And the enemy succeeds. Killing your loved ones." Sousuke never raised his voice.

Cool. Serene. Inexorably Sousuke continued to pound on his fears. Ron was starting to get a frightened look on his face. "Sometimes the visions show you going on a rampage, killing everyone and everything around you. And you can't stop. Not won't, can't." Sousuke moved carefully towards Ron. Almost like approaching a wild animal kneeling in front of him.

"Hhhhhhhow can you know I that" Ron stuttered.

For everyone else, Sousuke had a very neutral expression and tone. But two people could tell the difference. Kaname and Ron. Kaname through long experience could hear it. And Ron could see it in his eyes. Compassion. "Because I've seen them myself. I understand what you are going through. I know."

"NOOO, there's no way you can know. You hear me. NONE!"

Ron was starting to get up to hurt someone, most likely Sousuke, when the Soldier stunned Kim and especially Ron. "I shot and killed my first confirmed enemy Soldier when I was seven." Both were floored. Ron just plopped back into the chair. Kim nearly fell over. "I have been in combat in one form or another since the age of six, when my entire family was murdered on a relief mission to a third world country. My mother, father, younger sister and brother. I can't even remember their faces. I was taken in by the mujahideen. Because I wasn't their countrymen though, I got the worst of the food, if I got any. I usually had to fight the camp dogs for it.

Sousuke paused taking in Ron's horrified face.

"But you, Stoppable-san. Now you have done something that haunts you. You see the faces of your enemies and comrades. And you feel damned if you do and damned if you don't. You constantly tell yourself, 'There was another way, had to be. I didn't have to kill that person.'"

"But till the day you die, you will see the faces. The nightmares never really go away. But with help, you can learn to cope. And accept. Accept the fact that part of your problem is that innocents died as well. Little boys and girls died, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters died, because you didn't act fast enough, and, because you survived. 'Why am I alive and their not? Why God? Can I take their place?' You've asked those questions, repeatedly, haven't you?"

Ron was in tears and getting worse and Kim was getting more upset by the second. "Shut up, leave him alone."

"You face a choice now, Stoppable-san."

"Shut up."

"You can either accept the help that is being offered, by many people, me included."

"Shut UP!"

"And learn to accept the fact, you had no choice, no options, but to defend yourself and others to the fullest of your abilities."

Kim was screaming by now, "SHUT UP!"

"Or reject it, and wallow in your personal hell. And we'll leave and prepare for the day when you rise up and run amok. Because if you keep going the way you have been, in denial, you could easily, very easily become a menace. And if your abilities are a fraction of what Toshimaru-sama described to me, you could become the most dangerous man on the planet. Forcing the rest of us to either kill you or die."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

The only reason Kim hadn't launched herself at Ron's tormenter was because he was clinging to her, wailing like a lost soul. "Oh God, I killed them, Oh my God. What do I do." It was the first time Ron admitted that to anyone.

Including himself.

**********

Wade not knowing what do signed off at the start of Ron's break down. He wasn't idle though. He had a feeling that once things settled, Kim would be calling for ANY information about the dark haired young man that had thrown Ron into a such a tizzy.

He couldn't believe it when he found the equivalent to a military two-oh-one file on a GJ server. It listed all important biographical information. It also listed dates, places, and time spent in Combat. From South America to the Middle East, if there was a hot spot in last 5 years, Sagara had been there. It was through Sousuke's file he found reference to Mithral. The file also referenced another list. This one was on a Mithral server, and it contained shocking information. Sagara's listing of confirmed and probable kills. The number was staggering. More then 75 confirmed and over 140 probable.

He didn't know what he was going to with the information. But he knew he needed to brief Kim, and soon.

**********

It took twenty minutes for Ron to quiet down. He just sat in the chair, Kim beside him trying to support him without saying anything. She wasn't sure what to say or do, but one thing was for sure. For as long as he would let her, she would have his back. And she would start with the young Japanese man with the notable scar.

"You're a piece of work, you know that?" she snarled at Sousuke. "Just who the hell do you think you are? What gives you the right to do that to him?" The anger she felt was getting her up worked again. She was just about to jump over the table at Sousuke when a stern voice said, "Kim, settle down." She was shocked, it was Ron.

Ron had flashed back to the vision. Specifically the part where Sousuke's Glock seemed to teleport into his hand. Looking at him, Ron asked, "Your armed, aren't you."

"Always Stoppable-san."

"You only get one chance with a taser, buddy." Kim interjected.

"Kim, Settle. Down."

"Ron?!"

"Note serious face, Kim. He won't kill you, but he will put you in pain."

"What are you talking about, Ron?"

He answered through gritted teeth. "I'm certainly not talking about a damn taser." Just then, Sousuke gently set his Glock on the table. He also pulled Kaname's BDA and handed it to her. After hours of training, with out thinking, she ejected the magazine, checked the chamber and action, slapped the magazine home and replaced it in the holster in the small of her back.

"Your both carrying a gun?" Kaname started snickering and Kim asked, "What's so funny?"

"I'm carrying a gun, he's carrying an armory."

Kim looked confused until Sousuke started unloading. The Glock was the tip of the iceberg. He pulled grenades, smoke, stun and frags, two more pistols, a tanto style knife, a narrow tube and a packet, a sling and a bag.

Kim just looked at the assortment before her, mouth working, but no sound coming out when she heard Kaname. "No rifle? You packed light this morning."

" I knew we would not be out in the open for most of the morning, and planned accordingly."

"Oh,. OK."

Dr. Director cut in with. "Can we get back to the point of this briefing."

"You knew about this."

"Of course, Miss Possible. I had too, how else could I arrange for their concealed carry licenses."

"What?"

"The Sergeant is here primarily as a bodyguard. Therefore he is authorized to carry lethal ordnance. Miss Chidori is listed as his backup. Any more questions, Miss Possible?"

Glaring at everyone except Ron, "No M'am, not right now." The only reason she didn't glare at him was because she didn't want to alienate him anymore. But she was tweaked with him for snapping at her like he did.

"Good, let's begin." But before she could call the room to order, Ron broke in.

Ron just looked dejectedly at the Soldier that had placed him in such pain. "Why Dude? Why are you here?"

"As I said Stoppable-san. I'm here to help. Toshimaru-sama requested this of me, then thoroughly briefed both Kaname and myself on what to expect from both you and the situation. I am sorry for the pain you had to go through, but it was required. Like lancing an infection before healing can begin. It can hurt, but it's necessary. Truly, I take no pleasure from it."

Kim sat there, nostrils flaring, glaring at the Soldier. "You're pretty ruthless aren't you?"

"Yes Possible-san, I'm also alive."


	5. Laughter Is The Best Medicine

Chapter 5 Laughter Is The Best Medicine

Kim didn't have a clue what to make about his comment, so she let it go focusing on both Ron and Dr. Director. 'How could he say something like that to me? ME? "Settle down." He never talked like that before. Not to anyone. But he did try to watch my back, like always. Even if he sounded like he was as mad at me as much as Sagara. What happened to him?'

But she knew what happened. Graduation Day. The breakdown earlier shocked her. Sure Ron would whine and moan about something, but sobbing like a terribly hurt child wasn't something she would have ever expected.

Dr. Director pulled out a set of folders, rifling through them and she passed one to Sousuke. "Here's the things you requested Sergeant. And I must say, your requests show a great deal of forethought. We had to special hire the contractors to finish in time. But I believe you'll be pleased."

"The hardest part was finding a site that met all the requirements. It is located within 2 miles of the campus. Has road access on three sides. However one, opens into an alley. Both vehicle and personnel doors on three sides with a small parking lot and a personnel door on the forth. And if need be it is very defensible."

"Your contact specified some kind of basement. The only building that came close was this one, the basement only covers one half of the floor space. But it was a commercial building and has 14 foot ceilings down there with freight elevator access the basement as well as the other two floors. The remodelers finished two days ago. Here are the key's, garage door openers and deed."

"Inside the folder, you have a listing of all equipment inside the vehicle area and the personal items you and Miss Chidori shipped are already in the utility area outside the personnel apartments."

She pulled another folder and removed several pages and cards. Splitting the cards, she handed them to him and Kaname. "Here are your I.D.s, drivers licenses, and concealed carry permits. **Under. Stand. Sergeant**. This is not Japan, we won't be able to manage the press as easily here if you go blowing up buildings. So please restrain yourself."

Kim thought to herself, 'Blowing up buildings?"

Dr. Director continued. "That being said, you are authorized to use **necessary **force to protect your charges. You are to let no one harm or capture them. Is that clear?"

"Perfectly, Commander."

With a wry grin she said "Sergeant, if I recall, I asked you to call me Betty." He called her 'Commander' because it had a proper military sound and he felt better about it. Besides, Director Director just sounded to confusing.

"M'am, this is an official briefing, not a social setting, therefore proper titles should be used."

"Hehe, fine **Sergeant,** shall we adjourn to your facility."

"Sousuke, did you buy another building?"

Kim and Ron were wide-eye at the thought that someone the same age as them bought **another** building like Dr. Director described. Kim more so then Ron. Ron knew about having money. He was starting to get access to his royalties. Kaname wasn't surprised at all at Sousuke's response.

"Of course Kaname, the lack of other tenants will be a benefit. This way it will be much more secure. Commander, was my special equipment delivered?"

"You mean those strange fur covered machines? Yes they arrived. They are in the garage along with your personal effects."

Kaname slowly turned her head to face Sousuke. "Bonta-kun, you brought Bonta-kun. What a minute, that was a plural."

To Kim's surprise, Sousuke was getting visibly nervous. 'He faces down Ron knowing about his MMP and doesn't break a sweat. But she talks to him in that tone and suddenly he's sweating bullets?'

"How many Bonta-kuns, Sousuke?"

The other three occupants of the room couldn't believe what they were seeing. Kim was just surprised. Ron was looking on and thinking, 'She got him shaking in his boots, he threatens to taze me and doesn't blink and she does this to him? Whoa, she's scary. And what the hell is a Bonta-kun.' Dr. Director was shaking her head at the remarkable young woman beside her. 'He tells **Admiral Borda** "to get bent" and he's afraid of her?

Gulping, Sousuke said, "Four."

"Four? Sousuke, you have enough personal weapons for the Sendai Division, why do you need four Bonta-kuns. Isn't Al enough?"

"That reminds me Sergeant, the ARX7 was delivered two days ago. It's in the hanger now." Snapping her fingers, she added, "As a matter of fact, I want you to perform at least a cursory inspection before you leave the base. Make sure it's combat ready."

Sousuke took advantage of the distraction to say, "Yes Commander. Immediately. Kaname, I will return in a little while."

"Can I go with you, been a while since I seen Al."

Nobody missed the subtle signs of a pleased Sousuke. The gentling of his eyes, the softening of his tone. "Certainly, Kaname. Commander, may I have a guide to the base hanger."

"Agent Stoppable, Agent Possible, would you be kind enough to guide them to the hanger?"

'WHAT? Guide them to the hanger? What, is she…' Kim got no further then that when Ron had her looking at him with a dumbfounded look. "Sure thing, Dr. D." Pausing and talking mostly to himself, "Wait a minute, that sounds like Drakken. Dr. B? Dr. E? Dr. B! Yeah that'll work." He returned his attention to the rest of the group saying, "Sure thing Dr. B, elevator just down the hall to the right? Take it up to the second level, out to the right, end of the corridor?"

Kim's dumbfounded look increased. 'He remembered that? We only went there once from here. I didn't remember the way.'

"Correct Agent Stoppable."

Sousuke addressed Ron saying, "Thank you for your assistance Stoppable-san."

Ron gave him a hard look that Kim had only seen on his face once or twice. One of them was the 'Night of the Diablo's'. "Oh don't worry Sagara, we're still gonna rumble."

Thrown by the jargon, Sousuke got the meaning from his tone and inflection. But Sousuke didn't let his temper rise. He was calm, cool and collected. "As I told you before Stoppable-san. If you wish, as long as you refrain from using your powers, I will disarm. And we can beat each other senseless. As a matter of fact, I welcome it. Tanaka-san said you were a formidable hand to hand fighter. I'm sure we both could use the workout."

"Tanaka-san?"

"Yes, Tanaka Yori-san."

"YORI. You know Yori?"

Kim was not happy, here she thought they had left the Japanese vixen behind and now this… this…. THIS CLOWN, was bringing her back up.

"Yes, she nearly defeated me during our last sparring session." Both Kim nor Ron were wide-eyed and neither had any idea what to think about that little tidbit, spoken so matter-of factly.

"Nearly defeated? That means you beat her, hand to hand?" Ron questioned. He knew about her abilities and was impressed. And Sousuke beating her was surprising. He found was being impressed in spite of himself

"Yes. She requested me to ask if you still practice your 'Screams of Courage'." Sousuke was puzzled at that last part.

"Uhhh, that's Yori alright. You don't know it, but that gives you a bony fide, she was really sending me a message "

"Ron I think you mean 'bona fide'." Kim interjected without thinking.

Ron slowly looked from Sousuke to Kim and back again and asked. "Did you understand what I said, Sagara?"

Kaname and Dr. Director instantly caught the tone. Even the Clueless Otaku knew the pot was starting to boil on the subject of 'Kim and Ron'. But his innate honesty took over. Almost ruefully he answered, "I understood from the context Stoppable-san."

Looking back at Kim, "If he understood, what's the problem."

Kim realized her mistake when Ron 'looked' at her. Disdainful was the only word she could come up with. Trying to think her way out of her 'foot in mouth', she stood there biting her lip. "Nothing Ron. Nothing."

"Good. Come on Sagara, let's go see this thing of yours in the hanger." He stalked out of the room turning to the left. Sousuke looked from the retreating Ron to Kim to Kaname, back to Kim, then the empty door. After a few seconds Ron passed by again heading to the right, muttering "Wrong way."

With significant look at Kaname, Sousuke hurried after the power walking Ron, leaving the three women behind. It was a shared look that said, 'We've got our work cut out for us.'

With her much greater time spent in America, Kaname was more comfortable leaving the Japanese suffixes behind. "Miss Possible, would you show me the way to the hanger. I would like to talk to Al."

"Who's Al?"

"Come on, I'll see if I can get Sousuke to introduce you."

"Why would he have to introduce us, can't you do it."

Kaname stood with a quizzical expression for a second. "It's too hard to explain. You have to see it to believe it."

**********

Sousuke caught up to the storming Ron, wondering how to handle the fuming young man. So he tried to talk to him about Yori's 'message'. "You said that Tanaka-san was sending you a message about me?"

Ron slowed from his headlong movement. Still walking, he took a breath and said regretfully, "Yeah, she was telling me she trusted you. I don't know why, but she does."

They turned a corner and reached the elevators, when Sousuke paused. "Stoppable-san, I understand why your upset with me. But in my defense, I had no choice. I wish our meeting could have gone better, but the situation occurred before we had a chance to take action to prevent it. The only thing Miss Chidori and I could do was prepare to deal with the outcome. That included being ready to incapacitate you, if necessary."

"I know." When he saw Sousuke looking at him quizzically, he added, "It was part of the vision. For some reason it showed the two of you talking before Dr. B got back."

Kaname and Kim were just around the corner and close enough to hear what was said. When the elevator arrived, Sousuke and Ron boarded. Kaname started to try and catch it when she felt a petite hand with a steel grip grab her by the arm. When the doors closed she asked, "What was he talking about?"

Looking at the corner to the elevators, Kaname said, "It was part of the briefing Ishido Sensei gave us."

"Ishido Sensei, is that the Master Sensei Ron talked about?"

"Yes. He told us that Stoppable could be **extremely **dangerous if agitated or provoked. He's been having nightmares for months. He's suffering from Post Traumatic Stress. And because of his powers, could easily go too far and do something he would regret later."

"OK, what were you and him talking about before Dr. Director got back."

"We realized that Agent Du would probably fail to contact the two of you like he did to me and Sousuke. So we had to be ready to stop your partner."

Kim looked stricken, "He's not my partner anymore."

"Then let's see if we can fix that."

**********

Exiting the elevator, Sousuke asked Ron to hold up and wait for Kaname and Kim. While the elevator went to collect the girls, Ron chuckled, "You really would have had her zap me, ya know that?"

With a grim determined look, Sousuke said, "I wouldn't have wanted to Stoppable-san, but I would have done it."

Ron was laughing now. "Ya know, I gotta tell ya dude, it was kinda funny seeing myself do the funky chicken like that. Hurt like hell, but it was funny to see. HAHAHahahah, ZZZZZZZZZtttttttttttt." Ron started vibrating like he was being electrocuted.

When the elevator opened, Ron was holding his stomach, laughing with tears in his eyes. Kim was laughing just as hard. Kaname was standing there with a huge pleased grin. She had related how Sousuke had dealt with Agent Du. The thought of the pompous blowhard being 'taken into custody', then getting knocked unconscious had her in stitches.

Kim and Ron had the same thought. "He/She still has a great laugh.' They had a long way to go to repair things, but it was a beginning.

Kim insisted they tell Ron about the incident. Kaname was laughing too hard to talk, so the task fell to the deadpan Sousuke. All three were already set off, so with his dry military precise recital he had all three laughing so hard they were close to rolling on the floor.

"Miss Chidori and I were approaching the specified location when we dropped into the conference room. Not knowing the situation, I took action safeguard both her and myself. Seeing only one target, I covered him and ascertained Miss Chidori's status. After determining she was well and functional, I had her take over covering duties while I proceeded to take the suspect in to custody." The thought of 'Top Agent Du' being called a suspect had the estranged couple leaning against the wall and each other for support.

"The Commander entered then, explaining that he wasn't a suspect, but one of her agents. She also informed us that she had left orders for him to contact us prior to using the transport tubes. He failed to do so." Sousuke was grim faced when he said this. "The Commander then asked Miss Chidori to release him. When Miss Chidori let him up, she then berated him for his failure to follow orders."

Sousuke's eyebrow was twitching by now, remembering the expression on Du's face. "Agent Du seemed to take exception to his…….. 'dressing down'. To reinforce the lesson, I dropped a flash-bang behind him." At the words 'flash-bang' Ron dropped. He was laughing so hard now he couldn't stand up.

"Stop, HAHAHAHA, no more, hahahahaha, please, oh my ribs, hahahahaha."

Kim laughed harder hearing Sousuke's delivery then she did Kaname's. Kaname remembered the stupefied look on Will's face as he lay on the floor, knocked cold. And Sousuke just stood there with an undeniable look of, SMUG.

**********

When the laughing fools got themselves under control, they moved to the hanger. There in a far corner with a large space around it, was the kneeling form of the ARX7 Arbalest. Kim and Ron just looked at the mecha in awe. The only thing they had seen to compare was the expanded Diablo's. But those were mostly autonomous machines. But here was Sousuke climbing the side to open the cockpit. He settled himself in the seat, but didn't secure the harness. He was just doing a system check after all. Booting up the A.I. took a moment. Once it was up and aware he started having it run through the standby and precombat checklists.

After receiving a "Other then the lack of ammunition, all systems are green." with the deep masculine voice of the A.I. Sousuke told him. "I will speak to the Commander about having you fully armed, Al. is there anything else of note?"

"Yes, Sergeant. Would it be possible for me to remain in a conscious though lockdown state, as well as having communication access?"

"How would that affect your power reserves, Al?"

"It wouldn't, Sergeant. In that situation, the chassis is connected to the base grid."

"I will make the arrangements."

"Thank you, Sergeant."

Sousuke looked at the main display screen with a thoughtful expression. "Al, do you understand the difference between professional and social situations?"

"Yes Sergeant. Professional situations have an impact directly on our military duties. Social ones don't."

"You figured that out faster then I did. OK, from now on, if the situation is professional, I will address you as Arbalest and you will use my rank. If not, I will call you Al and can call me Sagara or Sousuke, understood."

There was a pause. A long one. Then the deep voice of the A.I. said, "Th, th, thank you, Ser…. Sagara!"

"It's not a problem, Al."

"Be aware, that if I am in confusion as to the proper mode, I will revert to the professional."

Sousuke was stunned, that was almost exactly the same thing he had said months ago to Sergeant Major Melissa Mao. "I…. understand, Al"

Kaname, Kim and Ron were watching from below. Ron and Kim didn't know what just happened, but they felt it was significant. Kaname was looking up at her beau with shimmering eyes. After almost two years, the combat team of Sergeant Sagara and the ARX7 Arbalest had merged into friends.


	6. The Coolest Toys

Seeing the mecha, Ron was astounded. Looking the machine up and down, he called up to the cockpit, "Sagara, I gotta tell ya, Dude, I'm still a little tweaked. But I have to admit, **you **have got some of the **coolest** toys."

"I'm with Ron on this, this is amazing."

To the amazement of the pair, Al addressed them over the onboard P.A. system. "Thank you."

"Whoa! Is that thing fully atonemeus?"

Kim grimaced as Ron once again butchered the English language. She remembered what happened a few minutes ago when she corrected him, and was forced to restrain herself from the automatic correction that jumped to her lips.

Ron caught the grimace out of the corner of his eye. He knew exactly what he said. And he said exactly what he wanted to. It was a test. A test to see if she could learn. He had been through too much in the last weeks to fall back into old patterns. He had felt more then abandoned by Kim when she cut off their relationship. He had felt betrayed. By the person he least expected it from.

His parents he expected to treat him like they forgot about him. "But, this is our way of telling you." How many times had he heard that. Hana was way too young to start acting that way, and he doubted she would. He had made it a point to visit his parents three or four times a week, for dinner if nothing else. And every time he showed up, Hana practically mugged him in her joy to see her 'Big Brother'.

For nearly everyone else, it was practically a given that they would disregard him. His former classmates, the newsies, even the villains. But Kim, the one person he thought he would always be able to count on. The only person in the world that had never let him down, had done exactly that. So nearly ten weeks after Graduation, it was a much less trusting Ron standing in the GJ hanger, looking at one of the most advanced mechas on the planet.

Roger he trusted implicitly. Much like how he used to trust Kim. His parents he trusted about as much as he ever did. It wasn't that they were malicious, they were just thoughtless when it came to him. Master Sensei? He wasn't sure. He had never lead him wrong before, but he had sent these two. This new duo? A little bit. They would have to earn the rest. Ron was a past master of putting himself in someone else's shoes. And he had to admit that Sagara and Kaname were trying to do their best in a no win situation. He didn't like it, but he admitted it. He still wanted to get Sagara in the Dojo.

But Kim, he thought there was a LONG way to go before he trusted her again.

Kaname broke Ron out of his reverie. "Hi, Al, it's good to see you again. How're you doing?" Kaname had a special fondness for the A.I. ever since he had helped her rescue Sousuke from the hands of the Yakuza a few months before.

"Quite well, Miss Chidori. Other then a complete lack of ammunition, I am fully functional and combat ready."

"Well, Sousuke'll get that fixed for you."

Al wasn't sure which mode he should be using, but since they were talking about his weapons systems, and those impacted military duties, he decided to use the professional. "So the Sergeant has stated. He had also allowed me to remain in a conscious state, so long as it does not adversely effect my combat readiness."

"Great, you should contact Eleanor, she asked when you would get here."

"I shall do so once I have communications access."

"Sousuke, why don't you introduce Kim and Ron to Al."

"Al, are you scanning the hanger directly in front of you?"

"Yes, Sagara. I 'see' two other individuals besides Miss Chidori. Accessing onboard database. According to onboard database, I calculate a better then 95% probability that the female is Kimberly Anne Possible and 75% probability that the male is Ronald Dean Stoppable."

"Whoa, dude, you know my name?"

"Of course Mr. Stoppable. The photographic record is clear. When used in conjunction with other files I have in my data banks, it is a simple matter to match a name to a face."

The lesser trusting Ron had to ask. "Ok, but why did she get 95% and I only got a 75."

"Because there is a great deal more information on Miss Possible then yourself by several orders of magnitude. Therefore it was easier to identify her then you. I had to search further to arrive at the correct answer. If I had communications access I would have been able to get a higher percentage for both of you."

Al's answer mollified Ron. "OK, I'm impressed. Man, I have got to get me one of these."

"Stoppable-san, Possible-san, this is Al and the ARX7 Arbalest. Arbalest, please list Stoppable-san and Possible-san in the IFF as friendlies and allies. In a combat situation they are to be protected. Grant level 4 access."

"Also grant Doctor Elizabeth Director, aka the Commander, level 2 with level 1 under emergency conditions. Previous orders remain in effect. Be aware, it might be necessary for you to move out to my location, so once you have communications access, you are to stay in touch with Eleanor and myself regularly and keep your map references updated."

"Monitor mine and Miss Chidori's cell phones often, at random intervals, to determine if there is a problem. If you encounter a discrepancy, your list of contacts and order are as follows, myself, Miss Chidori, Commander Director, Stoppable-san or Possible-san, Captain Testarossa, Lieutenant Commander Kalinin, whomever is the current Urzu-1 and Sergeant Major Melissa Mao. Acknowledge and log orders." Sousuke kept giving verbal orders while he started typing on the keyboard. 'Also monitor the phones of Stoppable and Possible as well. Acknowledge this in text.' A line of text flashed across the screen. 'Acknowledged Sergeant.'

"Orders acknowledged and logged, Sergeant."

"Very good, Al. As noted, you may remain out of standby, except for necessary shutdowns. And no one is authorized order you to shutdown without my presence."

"Understood, Sergeant. Query, the chassis has just come from Depot level maintenance, however it still requires a shakedown. Should I schedule an exercise for this?"

"I will have to ask the Commander where we can have it, Al. this isn't Merida Island, I don't know where the training areas are."

"Very well, Sergeant. Once the weapons are loaded, I will ready at any time."

"I have to report to the Commander, Al. Contact me via cell phone if your status changes."

"Roger, Sergeant.

Sousuke left the cockpit, secured it and started climbing to the hanger floor. "Stoppable-san, Possible-san, would you please show me and Miss Chidori to the Commander's office so I can give my report. We also have to get some information and contacts from her."

"Sure thing, Dude. Come on."

Kim looked at Ron in mild surprise. She had to ask him. "Ron, you know where Dr. Director's office is."

"Not really, but there's one of those 'You are here' boards near the elevators. I'm pretty sure that it tells ya where to go."

'He thought his way through it. He thought his way through it and didn't need any help from mmmm, anyone. He really has changed. What am I gonna do. He hates me now.'

**********

After reporting to Dr. Director and getting the contact numbers and agreement to set up commo access, as well as setting up a basic load-out for Al, Sousuke and Kaname were heading to the building Sousuke had bought. At Kaname's prompting Sousuke asked Kim and Ron if they wanted to go with them. Both agreed, but Ron said he needed to call his Uncle. When he called, to Ron's surprise, Roger told him the truck was fixed.

The location was less then a mile away and since the back seat of the car still full of luggage, the four decided to walk the short distance.

Of course Ron was pumped at seeing the 'clean' GTO, with it's multihued indigo paint job. So much so that he wanted to have a closer look. Sousuke raised the hood revealing the massive 500 CID, 500 HP, 500 Lb Ft of torque engine. Ron was awestruck. He thought the 428 in Elma Lee was huge, but this was ridiculous.

Kim's response was a bit more subdued. "Don't you know how much gas that thing uses?"

From seemingly nowhere a melodious feminine voice floated in the air "What is it about pushy females harping about my gas mileage? Every male that sees my chassis likes it and wants one of their own. But the first thing out of a females mouth is 'gas mileage'. Why is that? And I'll have you know, I get respectable gas mileage, considering performance, weapons emplacements and armor. I'd like to see you do better." There started to develop a definite touch of frost to Eleanors voice

Ron and Kim were dumbfounded trying to figure out who said that. Sousuke just stood there with his normal neutral expression with a hint, just a hint of humor. Kaname was laughing so hard she was holding her sides.

"Hahaha, I suppose, hahahah, that, hahaha, that I, I, I should, hahaha, introduce you. Hahahaha, Miss Possible, Mr. Stoppable, this is Eleanor. Hahahahahaha, and I said almost the same thing when I first saw her."

"I'm sorry Kaname, but that's not quite right. What you actually said was 'it looks like some huge gas guzzling, gear head, hot rod to me.'"

"Whoa, it talks!"

"I beg your pardon, I am not an 'it'. My name is Eleanor."

If Ron was pumped before, that was nothing compared to this. "MAN, you people do have the coolest toys. This is badical! How did you get an A.I. that small! Man, Wade needs to see this!" Ron felt that in some ways, the A.I. in the car was much cooler then Al, because you expected that sort of thing from a mecha.

Kim was still trying to figure out how many more times she was going to stick her foot in her mouth to today. After Fredrick the chimp, Dr. Porter's creation, Oliver, and all the other, other then human intelligences her and Ron had come across, she thought she knew better then to just spout off like that.

Sousuke gave Eleanor the address and sent her on a roundabout trip to the location while the group walked to the address. A short while later they were standing in front of a warehouse just over a mile and a half from the campus. It was on a corner lot with an alley on the back side, and a small parking lot between it and the next building. It was about 75 ft on the short side, over 150 on the other and 20 feet high on one end of the building with a second story on the end by the parking lot.

Eleanor pulled up as they were standing there looking at the slightly decrepit building. Kaname was starting to get a bit tense. Her eyebrow started twitching when she looked at Sousuke and said, "OK, it's not that I don't trust you Sousuke, but what is this?"

"Give me a moment, please Kaname, and I will open the overhead door. Eleanor, please drive in and park inside when I have done so." He used the keys the Commander had given to him and opened the adjacent personnel door. A few seconds later, the overhead rolled smoothly up revealing the darkened interior. Kaname, Ron and Kim had waited outside and followed through the overhead behind Eleanor. Eleanor turned on her headlights to allow them a little light to see by. Once Sousuke found the switches for the overhead lights he started turning them on.

Eleanor parked and turned off her headlights as the sodium lights started to glow, revealing the garage portion of the building. It covered the front half of the building and the rear had a second floor with a set of stairs leading up. A double ended freight elevator was in a corner against the interior wall also going to the second floor. A portion of the floor space was occupied by several large crates. Four of the crates were alike in markings and size, being much bigger then a commercial refrigerator. The rest of the crates were smaller. Kaname recognized them as the ones she and Sousuke packed their personal effects from Tokyo in.

"I'm still not impressed, Sousuke. It still looks like a warehouse."

"This is the garage area, Kaname. If my instructions were followed the rest should be more acceptable. Please follow me."

Sousuke led them to the door on the ground floor explaining. "The ground floor is given over to both the vehicle and equipment garage in this section and a full Dojo in the rest. The second floor is where the living quarters are located. The basement should have been set up as an armory and firing range."

Through the door was a long hallway to a basic Dojo. It lacked the rich woods and intricate details of Sensei Matsuda's Dojo in Tokyo or Toshimaru-sama's Yamminochi School in northern Honshu, but it had lots of space between the load bearing pillars, thick mats on the floor and pillars with doors leading to what looked like separate male and female locker room/shower areas in the hallway.

"Not bad, Dude. You could really throw down in here."

"Yes, this will do for a training area. Let's check the armory and firing line next."

The stairs to the basement led to a secure door. Behind the door on one side was a foyer that had VERY thick glass in front of a series 4 of lanes. Each had a partition between it and the next with a small shelf on each side. Overhead was a set of cables that held the targets. Sousuke explained that the entire room was soundproofed and lined with enough concrete and steel to prevent even an RPG from breaking through. Inside the foyer was another door that looked like it went to a vault and opened to a medium sized room with shelves and tables throughout. The shelves had empty weapons racks stacked on them.

Taking up the remaining space on the side of the firing line was a long open room that was about 30 feet wide and about 75 feet long that had the freight elevator. " Sousuke said he had plans for the space, but didn't discuss them with the group.

Sousuke reentered the firing line and checked the lights and target holders. Finding them functional he said, "Excellent, shall we go upstairs?"

At the top of the stairs was basically a rather large apartment. Entering the main part of the apartment, they saw a large living room, two small rooms on one side that looked like some kind of office/study areas and an open kitchen that had Ron drooling. All the appliances were commercial grade, stainless steel. The stove had six burners and two ovens. Lots of counter and cabinet space with a three basin sink. One of the basins was much smaller and designed for washing food and had a disposal.

The living room faced south, was open to the rest of the roof of the building and had an access door to a fenced in area, like a patio.

There was a hallway on the north side of the apartment with four bedrooms, two on either side of a hallway. Between each of the two sets of rooms was a shared bathroom. Walking down the hallway, Sousuke noted which side was east and immediately chose one. Pointing to the west side, he suggested to Kaname, "You should take one of the rooms on that side, Kaname."

Unfortunately for the hapless Soldier, Kaname was in a teasing mood. With a fake pout that never failed to send his pulse rocketing, she said, "And here I thought you wanted me to stay with you."

Queue instant bullet sweat. "I, I, I, thththought you wowould rather nnnnot have the momomorning sun in your fffface, Kaname."

"Awwww, You're so sweet." She patted his cheek and sauntered back down the hall with a little extra twitch in the hips. Kim couldn't help but think 'Oh, she's good.'

Shaking his head to clear the fog, Sousuke muttered, "This way." and followed the twitch.

Kim looked around whistling, "You got a nice setup here, Sagara. Better then my loft that's for sure." Sousuke looked at Kaname from the corner of his eye and saw her subtle head shake. 'Not yet.' was the sign.

"Thank you, Possible-san. Would the two of you be able to assist us in unloading Eleanor as well as bringing the rest of our belongings up here?"

"Not those huge crates, right?"

"No Stoppable-san, the four largest contain Bonta-kuns and will remain in the garage."

OK, I might regret asking this, but what the heck is a Bonta-kun."

It was obvious that Sousuke stood a little straighter, while Kaname winced. "It's a mini A.S. of my own design. They are able to withstand any projectile rounds up to and including .50 caliber. They can also allow the operator to survive an RPG strike, although the chassis might be damaged beyond repair. They carry a 30mm smoothbore that can fire either buck shot beanbag or sabot rounds depending on the mission. They are very effective in an urban environment. They are also fast enough to use hand to hand techniques against an enemy."

Kim didn't know what to make of this. 'A 30mm smoothbore, what is this thing, a tank?'

Ron was a different story, "Dude, you gotta show me one of those."

Thinking fast, Sousuke agreed. "Certainly, Stoppable-san. After we finish unloading the car?"

"You got a deal, man. Let's go." It only took the four of them about thirty minutes to unload the car and place everything in their respective rooms. Both of the former couple were surprised by the Fender guitar. The other crates were brought up intact with the elevator. Sousuke and Kaname said that since they had packed enough in Eleanor, they could open and empty them later.

Going back into the garage, Ron found a wrecking bar one of the movers had left behind, and he and Sousuke attacked the crate surrounding one of the mini-mechas. When they got the crate opened and pulled the foam wrapping away from the machine, there, in all it's glory, covered in beige fur, stood what looked like a giant two legged hamster. Bonta-kun, the theme park mascot.

Kim looked at Kaname. She had helped the other girl carry her things to her room and seen her stuffed plushie. Kim looked back at the eight foot tall A.S. and muttered, "OK, this doesn't look that dangerous."

Kaname saw a chance to break some of Kim's assumptions about the world in general, and a few things in particular. Very quietly she leaned toward Kim and said, "Looks can be deceiving." When she said it, she was giving Kim a significant look, then looked, not at the Bonta-kun, but dead at Ron. "Sometimes it's the most unassuming things can be the most dangerous."

Kim replied just as quietly, "You're right, but what do you do when your whole life, you've gotten used to things being one way, then suddenly, they've changed."

"Something I learned from Sousuke, you adapt."

"I'm trying."

"Not to sound pushy, but I think a lot of your problem is you've never had to adapt to him before. He's always adapted to you, hasn't he."

Kaname could hear the sorrow in Kim's answer, "Yes, he has."

**********

Looking at the mini-mecha, Ron chuckled and said, "Dude, it's a good thing my motto's always been 'Never be normal', ya know."

Sousuke had a thoughtful look on his face when he turned to Ron. "I find myself in agreement with you, Stoppable-san. If I had been 'normal', I would have been killed many times over. If I was normal, I would not have been able to operate the ARX7 or gone to Tokyo and met Kaname."

"Hehehe, Ya know, in spite of how the day started, I'm startin' liking you, Sagara. You seem to be the epitome of 'Never be normal'. I'm still gonna have to kick your ass though."

"You welcome to try, Stoppable-san. Allow Kaname and I to get settled, then we can break in the Dojo."

The girls had heard the last part of the exchange and Kim nudged Kaname. Once she had the taller girls attention, she waved her head to the stairs. Kaname understood and excused Kim and herself on the pretext of going to the bathroom. Sousuke looked at the retreating girls and asked Ron a 'Question'. "Stoppable-san, do the females in America go to the bathroom in 'herds' like they do in Japan."

"Uhh, Sagara, I'm pretty sure you don't want them to hear you calling 'em a herd. FYI dude, herd implies cows and cows imply fat. And I promise you, you don't want the chicks thinking you're calling 'em fat! And to answer your question, yea, they do."

**********

When the girls reach the upstairs bathroom, Kim was hesitant, she wanted to ask a question, but with the way her day had been going, she was afraid of sticking her foot in her mouth again. "Uhhhh, look, I'm still concerned about Ron. Just how good is your boyfriend?"

Kaname had been briefed by both Sensei and a GJ rep, so she had a pretty good idea of what Kim was thinking. So she asked a question of her own. "Let me ask you this. How many times has either you or Ron fought, really fought for your lives? I'm not just talking about those strange villains the two of you fight. The blue guy and green woman or the one wearing a dress. I talking about kill or be killed. The kind of fight, that if you lose, people die. You, your friends, whole cities. So, other then the aliens, how many times have either you or him really been in a fight for your lives?"

Both of the girls were getting peeved. Kim at Kaname's apparent belittling of what her and Ron had accomplished. Kaname at Kim's naiveté. "What, you think those missions weren't dangerous?! There's no telling how many times we could have been killed! We saved the world I don't know how many times."

Kaname broke in quietly. "You ever seen someone shot and killed three meters away?"

The question stopped Kim in her tracks. "I have. Sousuke was saving me from a traitor that was seconds from either raping and killing me or just killing me. He rushed into the room without a weapon, seen what was happening, and charged the man who was armed with a pistol. He fired, I distracted him, Sousuke fought him and got the gun away, and shot him from two meters away."

Kim was truly flustered by now, but she had to try and make her point. "If he got the gun away from him, why didn't he take him into custody?"

Kaname got right in Kim's face and said, "Because it was Combat, not a fight. We were trapped with no way to restrain him or keep a prisoner and there were other people going to die if he hesitated. Nearly two hundred people and a nuclear powered, nuclear **armed**, multi billion yen submarine were at risk! Sousuke doesn't go around killing people indiscriminately. But killing your enemy is what it takes to save lives."

Kaname pointed her finger like a gun at Kim and said "Bang! When terrorist and criminals start plying their trade, the one I want protecting me is Sousuke. He's gone into battle against terrifying odds. 3, 4, even 5 to one. And he's won. Do you remember hearing about some huge machine rampaging across the Tokyo harbor area about a year ago?"

Receiving a nod, Kaname continued. "It was called the 'Behemoth'. And what stopped it was Sousuke in the Arbalest. He had to kill the pilot of the other machine, but how many lives did he save? The Behemoth had enough power for over two and a half days of combat ops, not hours, **days**. You've been there, how many people live in Tokyo? Millions of people were at risk, their homes, jobs, and lives. The Behemoth had already crushed a squad of Japanese A. like they were bugs and nearly killed a good friend of mine, Sergeant Major Melissa Mao. And the only way to stop it was to kill the pilot. He was boy, about fourteen. He had been brainwashed by a terrorist group."

"You mentioned back at the GJ base that he seemed pretty ruthless. And your right, he is. But he is also the most kindhearted, gentle and sweet man I've ever met. He will do anything to help someone."

"The first time he really saved me, I had been taken hostage by a bunch that want to use me for some freaky experiments. At the time I thought he was just some Otaku boy. But he wasn't. He had been assigned as my bodyguard. He rescued me from those people and got me away by stealing one of their trucks. We were under fire and Sousuke crashed through a hanger door. Inside the hanger were these surplus RK92 Savages, former Soviet A.. Sousuke climbed up the side of one and got it running. Then he took out three other machines by himself. Things went downhill from there."

Kaname looked through the window in the door down into the garage where Sousuke and Ron looked to be talking about something inside the Bonta-kun. "We ran into a machine piloted by an absolute lunatic that was like a panther compared to a house cat. I still don't know how we got away. But Sousuke was hurt in the explosion. I remember it was raining, and he had blood running down his side. He had given me his jacket and asked me to hand him his first-aid kit from out of one of the pockets. I couldn't believe it when he pull a 4 and a half inch piece a metal out of the side of his stomach. I still have it, I can show it to you later."

"I watched as he calmly pulled it out, cleaned and dressed the wound. And the only thing he was worried about, was my safety. Not his wound, not the enemy, nothing! I've seen him go completely out of his way to help someone. And the thought of getting something in return never crossed his mind. Does that sound like a hardened killer?"

"Sousuke's only ruthless when he has to be. But make no mistake, if he's decided you're an enemy. Not an irritant, not some annoying jackass, but a real enemy. One that threatens the lives of others. A terrorist or mass murderer, then you're liable to wake up dead one day. He even let a bunch of Yakuza live after they kidnapped and beat him. They even threatened me. And he still let 'em live. Doesn't mean we didn't teach them a lesson. Just means they got to live."

"To answer your question, Sousuke's very good. Almost every fight **he's** been in. Has been a fight for his life. So when they get in the Dojo, if Ron doesn't use his extra abilities, Sousuke's gonna kick his butt." With that, Kaname turned and headed back to the garage, leaving a thoughtful Kim.

**********

Back in the garage, Sousuke was doing something Kaname had only realized he could do in the last few months. Being subtle. He had manipulated Ron into the cockpit of the Bonta-kun and was explaining the offensive and defensive systems as well as the scanners, thermal imagers, acoustic sensors and a host of other features he had built into the mini-mecha. He had a plan to deal with Ron's anger issues as well as trying to advise and support him through the process of accepting and dealing with the problems left over from the Graduation Day invasion.

Part of the plan was giving Ron another outlet for his anger. Machines. Ron had mentioned the Galaxie his uncle had 'sold' to him. So that was a start. But he also had orders from both Toshimaru-sama and Mithral with G.J. concurrence. 'You are to find out if Ronald Stoppable capable of using the Lambda Driver.'

He had already shown extraordinary abilities. If those abilities could be joined with the Lambda Driver, then the forces trying to protect the planet from both internal and external threats would have a weapon to match a nuclear device. The trick was to draw out and hone his abilities without aggravating his emotional issues. And the first step was doing something Sousuke had done once before. Changing his relationship from an antagonistic one to a partnership. He had done it with Al, and as long as nothing interfered he could do it here.

**********

Outside of Berlin Germany, a jaundiced man of short stature, was berating a tall young man with platinum hair. "He vill pay! Do you unzerstand zhat! I don't care vhat you zay! Ze Buffoon vill pay! Mien helmut vas given to me by der Führer und Reichskanzler himself! Und it vaz irreplaceable. Ze doctors vere forced to cut it apart to get it off und destroyed it."

"Please calm yourself Doctor. We're not saying you can't have remuneration, we are merely asking you to postpone you designs until a more advantageous time."

"More advantageouz to you maybe, but not to me. Ze sooner he feels my wrath, ze better."

"Doctor, what we're asking for would be better for the both of us. And I never said you couldn't strike at him indirectly. There are other ways of hurting someone then killing them. Sometimes it's better to attack the periphery then the center." The tall platinum haired young passed a set of photographs.

One was of a quartet. An older heavyset couple wearing glasses and holding a toddler with a tow-headed young man standing bedside them. The next had the same tow-headed who looked to be working on a 60's Ford with an older man. The last was of a smiling couple consisting of the tow-headed boy and girl with fiery hair.

Looking through the pictures the 'Doctor' held up the one of the couple and said, "She owes me anyvay. But ze rest, theze show promise. Perhaps you're right. I can do vhat I vant as long as he lives?" Receiving a nod, "Very vell. You have a deal, Herr Platinum."


	7. A Fight, A Fight, A Fight

Chapter 7. A Fight, A Fight, A Fight!

Kim looked through the window set in the door, down into the garage. Ron and Sagara were still deep in conversation about the weird looking machine named Bonta-kun and Kaname had pulled out her cell phone. There was too many questions here and very few answers. There was just something about the Japanese male that had her danger sense screaming at her. The female set it off too, but nothing like Sagara.

She thought back to the remarks they shared back at the GJ Base.

"You're pretty ruthless aren't you?" she had asked.

"Yes Possible-san, I'm also alive." His completely deadpan answer was what had the alarms screaming in her head. She knew he had killed at some point in time, but where and when was the question. It was time to go to her answer man. Raising the wrist Kimmunicator, she hit the button to call Wade. It took longer for his image to appear then ever had. Even in the middle of the night he usually answered in less then 20 seconds and never more then 40. It was almost a minute before he answered.

When it did appear, Kim was shocked at the brusque answer. "Yeah, what do you need Kim?"

"Wade, are you all right?"

"Fine, why?"

"Well, you never took so long to answer before, and you sound upset"

"It took me a minute to get out of the bathroom, and as for the way I sound, it's personal."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"No thanks, Kim. Like I said, it's personal."

"Are you sure Wade? You're my friend and I'd like to help."

"Look, you don't wanna know what's bothering me. So lets just get to the reason that ya called."

"Please tell me what's wrong Wade. I really wanna help."

"Yeah right!"

"Wade?"

Wade sounded calm when he answered, but his words rocked Kim's world. "Alright, you asked for it. It's you, OK. I'm mad at you. I've been mad for weeks. Ya dropped Ron like a bad habit when he needed ya the most. There was somebody out there that needed help and ya blew 'em off."

Kim had tears starting when he mentioned Ron. She never thought about how the split had affected the rest of the team. "I'm sorry, Wade."

"**I'M NOT THE ONE YOU NEED TO APOLOGIZE TO."**The thirteen year old screamed. "Ya say you wanna try and help me, but the person who needed you the most in the world was Ron. And where were ya? What? You couldn't be bothered? Things got so bad that GJ had to call in outside help. Ya know what, never mind! I got a pretty damn good idea why your calling" His fingers flew over the keys of one of his keyboards and the Kimmunicator beeped from the download.

"Those are the files on Sergeant Sagara and Kaname Chidori. They're no where near complete, but it's all I could find. They make for some interesting reading. I suggest look them over pretty good. But here's the basics.

"Sousuke Sagara, age somewhere close to nineteen. No ones really sure because the records from his early childhood are missing or destroyed, probably happened after the murder of his family at around age six. Somehow he got away and survived the Spetsnaz squad that killed them and was taken in by the local mujahideen. They treated him worse then the camp dogs. Seems the only reason they kept him around was because he was expendable."

"He fought with the mujahideen against the Soviets for the next six years, when he was taken in as a foster son by a former Spetsnaz officer that had become disillusioned by the brutality the Soviets were using. Name, Senior Lieutenant Andrei Kalinin."

"Kalinin brought Sagara out of the mountains and got him to enlist with a group I've never heard of until today, called Mithral. They seem to be a covert anti-terrorist group. Seems they recognize no countries boundaries when it comes to taking out terrorist groups. Libya, Iran, Afghanistan, North Korea, hell even parts of the Soviet Union, if there was a confirmed terrorist cell somewhere, they haven't hesitated to level it."

"From there, Sagara rose to the rank of Sergeant sometime after the age of sixteen. According to the reports, he was utterly fearless once engaged, but he wasn't a berserker. He was able to think and function in Combat while the bullets were flying. And in the last year and a half, maybe two years, he's been the one they called to straighten out messed up situations."

"He's been trained in just about every type of military activity out there. Weapons, stealth movements, Arm Slave operations, communications, interrogation techniques both resisting and questioning. Survival techniques ranging from the arctic to the desert to the jungle. You name it, he's probably good at it."

"Last major mission for Mithral was to act as a covert bodyguard to one Kaname Chidori. The reason is classified so high I haven't been able to dig it out yet. But the reason he was chosen was his age and his skills. He was the only qualified operative young enough to pass as a high school student. The reports show that he's kept her alive and out of terrorist hands for nearly the last two years in some severely messed up situations."

"Kaname Chidori, age 18, almost nineteen. She wasn't even a blip on the radar until two years ago when for some reason Mithral took an interest in her safety, once again, I don't know why. She appears to be just a civilian. But in the last two years several bad guy groups from terrorists to the KGB to the Yakuza have tried to capture her."

"Now in the last year or so is when she gets interesting. Seems she took offense at all the kidnapping attempts and had the Sergeant start to give her some weapons and tactics training, along with some hand to hand and advanced driving techniques. According to what I'm seeing, there's no way she could beat you in hand to hand, but God help you if she ever got a pistol pulled. The physiologist reports say she has a lot of latent anger issues, both from the death of her mother, cancer related, and the attempts on her. I would truly advise you not to piss her off."

"I saw the recording from when Agent Du sucked them through the transport tubes. They hit the bottom of the tube and the Sergeant had a pistol in his hand so fast, it looked like magic. And she was right behind him, back to the wall, watching his six. That wasn't the scary part."

"The scary part was afterwards when Betty Director showed up. Chidori was furious. I really thought she was going to shoot Du. The recording is included in the info packet. "

"Ya know, your pretty lucky Ron had your back earlier today. Because if the Sergeant is even half as dangerous as these files suggest, then he makes Shego look like Camille Leon. For example, he has over 75 **confirmed **kills and over 140 probable's." Kim's jaw dropped and eyes widened at the numbers. "There's no record of Shego ever taking a life."

"He's not joking when he said he's been in Combat since the age of six. He was with the group he came from for nearly 6 years fighting against various terrorist groups. And in that time, if there's been small scale/high intensity fighting from Europe through the Middle East and Asia to South America, then he's been there. When you get done looking over those files, call me. I'll set you up a ride to Drakken's Caribbean lair."

The ride offer seemed to come completely out of left field. Things were happening too fast for her to process. "What? But why?"

"Because I think your gonna need to talk to a criminal element. And while I trust the two of them about as far as I can toss my servers, I gotta admit they've never lied to us. They've played games and tried to do you and Ron in more then once. But they've never lied."

"Look, I'm mad and I'm gonna be mad for a while. Least until you and Ron get this straightened out one way or the other. But I'll still give ya tech support when you need it. I know things are screwed up right now, but as whack as it is to say this, I think the Sergeant is just what Ron needs. He really has been there, done that. And according to the information I've seen, he's not a raving lunatic. Dense, but he's not crazy."

"One last thing, you need to ask the two of them why their here, because it's not just to help Ron."

"Dr. Director said they were here as bodyguards."

Wade gave her a strange look "Ya know, Ron's my friend, so I'm allowed to say this. I would expect him to miss things, but your not normally this slow. The question is, bodyguards for who? Call me when you finish the files." Wade's image blanked out leaving an icon blinking for the files he had sent.

She browsed through the files and found the video of the encounter with Du. She watched as the Sergeant tumbled into the room, Glock appearing in his hand. If Kim hadn't known better, she would have sworn he had been expecting a trap. Kaname's reaction was less of a surprise. You could see the shock and surprise on her face, but her reactions were nearly flawless. Back to the wall and pistol covering the quarters behind the Sergeant. Once they had the room secure their procedures for taking a prisoner into custody were textbook, one covering and the other staying out of the line of fire.

It was the arrival of Dr. Director that led to the surprise for Kim. She saw what Wade was talking about. Kim had spoken amicably with the other girl. She seemed to be a very well adjusted young woman, until Kim saw her jam the BDA into the jaw of Agent Du and heard her threatening the older male. Like Wade, she believed, that with just a slight bit more provocation, Kaname would have blown his head off. 'What happened to her to make her so touchy.' What Kaname had said in the encounter sounded like the truth, but it left a lot unsaid as well.

She had just reached the point where the flash-bang went off when a voice scared her out of her wits. "I see that Load-sensei is as good as I was informed."

Kim jumped 4 feet in the air twisting around and landing in a defensive stance. No one had been able to sneak up on her like that in years. He moved like a ghost. "If you have questions, all you need do is ask." He stood there just looking at her. His expression was very neutral and the steel gray eyes gave away nothing. "Kaname sent me to ask if you are hungry. We were just about to leave to get something to eat. Neither of us have eaten since oh-five-hundred when we arrived in town and Stoppable-san was kind enough to offer to show us the local establishments. Would you care to join us?"

Every thing was spoken in a very matter of fact tone, almost like he was asking her what time it was. Frightened and getting angry because of it, she answered brusquely. "Ya know, I've trusted Wade's skills with my life for years. And when he has a hard time finding out **anything **on a computer, that tells me that it's pretty well hidden. Just who are you here to guard. They don't send someone like you for no reason."

"My mission here is multi-part. Some of it you are cleared to know. Some if it your not. However, I can get you much of the information you are looking for. Would you please contact Load-sensei again and ask him to call Miss Chidori's cell.

"Why hers? She seems just as trigger-happy as you."

Sousuke got a strange look on his face. If Kim didn't know better, she would think he was laughing at her. "Miss Chidori can be impulsive and brash. However, 'trigger happy' is not an adjective I would use around her. For both our sakes."

"What?"

Sousuke ignored the question. "Please just have Load-sensei call her. It's important. We depart in five minutes." He turned and headed for the stairs leaving Kim wondering what the hell happened.

**********

Lunch was a trial for Kim. Even the ride to that center of, for Ron, all things cheesy, Beuno Nacho wasn't easy. Normally she would have been driving, up front, in control. But Ron had called shotgun and after getting confused looks from the Japanese pair and having to explain it, was granted the request. Kaname could tell that Kim was uneasy near Sousuke so she had him drive. That put the girls in the back seat. Kim was less then two feet from a girl her own age, who was armed with lethal weapons and seemed quite willing to use them. Having seen the video of Kaname within millimeters of literally removing Will Du's head had shaken Kim's opinion of the other girl.

The other thing was for the first time she wasn't the center of Ron's attention.

He was nearly haranguing Sousuke about cars of all things. He talked about displacement, brake horsepower, cubic feet a minute, the pros and cons of automatics versus manuals and a thousand other things relating to muscle cars. Things she had no idea he knew about. His comment about rearends nearly sent her blood pressure throught the roof until she figured out he meant something on a car and not a girl.

An hour or so later, Sousuke tentatively brought up the impending confrontation between the two of them. "Stoppable-san, do you still wish to meet me in the Dojo."

Ron immediately put on his serious face. "Think I have to, dude."

"I do not wish to do this, but if you insist……"

"What are ya worried about, man. Never know, you might even win." Kim had never heard Ron sound like this. He sounded arrogant, mean even. She remembered Kaname's comment about her opinion of who the victor would be. ', if Ron doesn't use his extra abilities, Sousuke's gonna kick his butt.' She looked over at Kaname who looked back and nodded.

Kaname had been briefed at the same time as Sousuke and knew they had to get Ron's temper under control before it got out of hand. And the fastest way to do that was to show him decisively that he wasn't invincible. That he could be stopped, beaten, even killed, if he let himself go to far.

Kaname was the only one who could see that Sousuke had his 'I really don't want to do this' face on. "Very well, then. Shall we return base and begin."

"Sure thing dude."

They got back to the garage and Ron could defiantly see the possibilities of the huge space. There was a lift in the corner that would make getting under the Galaxie much easier, and tons of bench space to spread out. Loads of power outlets and airlines for operating electrical tools and impact wrenches. Water outlets and drains to take away the water from cleaning anything. Even a parts cleaning station on the wall near the lift.

"Man, I wish I had this kind of space back at my Uncles place. He's got all the tools a man could want, just not enough room to spread out. Ya know what I mean?"

Sousuke once again caught the negative shake from Kaname. Kim caught it to and wondered what it was about.

The group entered the Dojo and Sousuke immediately went to one of the neutral corners still dressed in his street clothes, while Kaname headed to the medical cabinet. Ron stood there scratching his head for a second and asked, "Uh, aren't into a gi or something?"

"When you played American style football, how often did you practice without protective equipment?"

Still confused, but willing to give the Soldier the benefit of the doubt, Ron answered, "Except for cardio training, never."

"You have gone into battle at the side of Possible-san for years. Have you ever gone onto battle in a gi Stoppable-san?"

"Uh, no."

"Neither have I. I have gone into combat in a military uniform with LBE and helmet (Load Bearing Equipment), in an A.S. suit, even in my school uniform. But never in a gi. When the militaries train, they train in the way they expect to go into combat. In uniform, wearing their armor and equipment. 'You play like you train.' is an aphorism used by the United States Army. Do you understand the meaning?

"Yea, I think I do."

"Part of learning to cope with what happened to you, is training yourself to be better then you were before. To gain a better mastery of martial skills to allow you to, hopefully, have more options the next time. More choices so you can try to avoid the need to take a life."

"Miss Possible called me ruthless earlier today. Part of that ruthlessness is a willingness to do what is necessary to protect others and accomplish the mission. Another is making decisions regardless of the danger surrounding yourself. So, do you still wish to change into a training gi?"

"No, you right. I have a better idea. Give me a few minutes."

"Certainly Stoppable-san. That will give me a moment to disarm"

Ron exited the Dojo grabbing his backpack on the way and Kaname returned with a medium sized box containing an assortment of bandages, wraps, chemical cold packs, even a couple of small pillows and a basic suturing kit. Seeing the box, Kim was starting to get worried. "Do you think we'll need all that?"

"With Sousuke, you never know, best to be prepared. They'll at least need the cold packs and probably the wraps."

While Ron was gone and the girls chatted, Sousuke went to one of the shelves lining the room and started to pull out everything but the kitchen sink. Smoke, stun and frag grenades, three pistols, a tanto style knife, the Taser, a narrow tube and a packet, and a sling and bag.

Seeing the assortment, Kim had to ask about some of it. "OK, the pistols, grenades and the knife I get." She pointed to the tube and sling "But what are these?"

He picked up the tube and packet and handed her the tube. It was about two feet long and had about a 3/8ths inch opening. "Blowgun. Accurate to about 30 meters. The packet contains several different types of darts, from incapacitating to lethal."

"Why don't you stick with the knock out darts."

"Because sometimes you don't want your enemy getting back up."

Sousuke picked up the sling and pulled a steel marble from the bag. He pointed at the wall on the other side of the room, about 60 feet away "Do you see the junction of the padding on the other wall. Third panel in, chest height." She nodded and he loaded the sling, spun it around his head and let fly. The steel ball hit the wall dead between the panels and just about the height of a mans heart with enough force to bury itself in the cinderblock. It would have easily crushed a mans sternum or taken off an enemy's head. "Silent, effective and with practice, very accurate. I used one of these for hunting when I was a child."

Kim was stunned looking at the half inch hole in the block wall. The weapon had made almost no noise except for the whistle of the sling. "I can see how that might knock down dinner."

"I wasn't hunting animals with it, I was hunting Spetsnaz. They always had several radios and would call in Hind helicopters to strafe the position they heard a rifle report from."

Kim turned a shade paler, gulped and said, "I see." Desperate to change the subject from the grisly one she had stumbled into, she asked, "Aren't you going to stretch out or warm up?"

"Why? In an unexpected combat situation, I would not have time." He glanced towards Kaname with his thinking face and she groaned. "Excuse me, Mister Terrorist. Could you give me a moment to warm up before we do battle."

Kaname groaned again, "That was terrible, Sousuke. I think you should leave the jokes to other people."

"But, Kaname, how can I improve unless I practice." He looked back at Kim. "However, my point remains the same. One should be ready at all times for an attack."

Kim just narrowed her eyes at the Veteran and remained silent. He was well outside of her hand to hand range and she could see that even though he was relaxed, he was still ready and alert.

Ron returned dressed in his mission clothes. The mock turtleneck and cargoslooking for the first time, not slightly out of place on his frame. Kim could see the additional muscle he had put on in the last two months. Sousuke looked over the outfit, nodded in approval and said, "Much better, Stoppable-san."

Ron saw the weapons on the shelf and Kim's pallor, put two and two together and figured she walked into a conversation she wished she hadn't. Trying to lighten the mood he asked "Man, do you always carry this much stuff?"

"No Stoppable-san, usually I carry more. Being prepared has saved my life more then once."

"I can see that. So, you ready to get your butt kicked, Sagara?

Sousuke walked to a neutral spot on the mats. "No disabling or killing blows, agreed?"

Ron looked confused at that, "Uh, of course man."

"Not 'Of course' Stoppable-san. Too often contenders have a misunderstanding as to the rules and limits of the contest. Particularly between those of differing cultures. This leads to unnecessary injuries. Do we fight until submission, knockdown or knockout?"

"Submission or knockout. I've been known to trip over my own shadow." Kim was flabbergasted by Ron's response. Not the shadow tripping part, she knew it was true. It was the first part that was throwing her. In the past, she had seen Ron run screaming from henchmen and goons just to avoid being hit. And sure he had ripped Dementor's squad apart with his bare hands and put the maniac in the hospital, but that was after she had been hurt.

Now he was willingly facing an opponent who's stated intent was to either hurt him enough to make him quit or knock him unconscious. And Ron knew that the Veteran was quite willing and fully capable of doing just that.

Sousuke merely nodded and pulled his right foot back and fell into a posture of aggressive defense. Ron followed suite with a closed Tai Xing Pek Kwar stance. The two orbited each other for a moment, then on some unknown signal, launched themselves at each other. They traded blows and blocks. Kim could see that Ron's style was pure Tai Xing Pek Kwar, the Monkey Kung Fu, while she had no idea where Sousuke's came from. She was seeing bits and pieces of Judo, Aikido, Karate, Savate, Jujitsu and even American Boxing thrown in for good measure. The only thing she had ever seen that came close was the Military Hand to Hand Course her and Ron had attended a few times.

Ron threw a left/right combination that had the left connecting in a stinging blow to the nose, but the right overextended just a bit. Sousuke took the left and parried the right away to his right with his left hand, stepped in and landed a hammer blow with his right to Ron's sternum. Ron coughed and rolled with the punch as best as he could landing on his back and rolling back to his feet still gasping for breath. Sousuke had received a bloody nose from the exchange, while Ron was left wheezing for a moment.

Kim nearly jumped in then until Ron spotted her and wheeze/growled "Back off. My fight." They looked at each other for an instant and Kim understood. This was something he had to do alone. She didn't like it, but she understood it.

The two fighters went back at it hammer and tongs. Both were landing blows, but mostly to non vital areas. Sousuke concentrated on Ron's torso, while Ron tried going headhunting. Nearly every punch was aimed above the shoulders.

Sousuke threw a straight left aimed at Ron's nose to repay the bloody one he had received and Ron's ducked his head enough to take the blow on the forehead instead.

Ron threw a hard right that Sousuke was able to intercept and turn into an outside wrist lock. But before he could get a joint lock on the elbow, Ron pivoted hard on his right foot counterclockwise. Ron allowed the captured right arm to go behind himself and was swinging his left elbow at the temple of the other fighter. Sousuke knowing it was coming, let go of Ron's right wrist, allowed the blow and rolled away opening up the distance a bit.

From the outside it looked as if Ron was winning. He had landed quite a few more hits than the Soldier, but Sousuke's, while not as numerous, were more on target and more powerful. Kim could see that Sousuke was much more willing to take a hit then Ron. Especially if he could land a blow in return. Sousuke decided it was time to end the fight. It would likely be painful, but it would accomplish the mission.

Sousuke traded blows again waiting for the opening he needed. It came when he threw a hard left and Ron grabbed it like Sousuke had done just prior. But whereas Sousuke had avoided Ron's counter, Ron simply didn't want to let go of the captured hand and Sousuke was just a shade faster then Ron. Also, Sousuke wasn't trying to land an in-close elbow, but a longer reaching hammer-fist that caught Ron right where the lower jaw connects with the skull. Ron went to the ground as if every bone in his body had suddenly become liquefied.

Looking at the downed fighter, hands on his knees and breathing hard, Sousuke said "He is, gasp, better then I, gasp, gave him credit for."

Kim growled and was about to give Sousuke the beat down of his life when a calm voice just behind her said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you." She looked back to see Kaname holding the Taser pointed straight at her. And she almost launched herself at the other girl when Wade's comment rang in her head. "_God help you if she ever got a pistol pulled._" Kaname was standing less then two feet from Sousuke's assortment of weapons.

"They just fought a fair fight. Ron lost. I suggest we see about first aid, neh?" Kaname disappeared the Taser, grabbed the box of first-aid supplies and moved to assist the two fighters, staying at least two or three feet outside of Kim's range.

She reached Sousuke first and gently cupped his cheeks and looked into his eyes. He was still breathing hard, but she received a smile no one else would be able to see and a "Daijoubu, Kaname-chan, Mon dai nai." (I'm alright, Kaname-chan, it's not a problem.) She nodded and moved to help Ron just as Kim arrived.

Both of the girls had experience with various injuries, Kaname from tending to Sousuke after some escapade and Kim from the Team Possible missions. The first thing Kaname grabbed from the box was a couple of chemical cold packs. Breaking the inner package to release the water to mix with the ammonium nitrate inside the outer bag caused a chemical reaction making the pack drop to nearly freezing temperatures. Kaname passed the first to Sousuke for his nose and passed the second to Kim who applied it to Ron's jaw.

Once the packs were in place Kaname took Sousuke's hands and started looking at the abrasions. The worst was the right where he had caught Ron in the forehead rather then the face. Clucking to herself she reached in the box and pulled out the antiseptic and a couple of wraps and proceeded to bandage the scraped and brusied hands.

Kim lifted Ron's head and slid one of the pilows underneath and used a second to brace the cold pack in place. She then lifted his shirt and started feeling for any broken ribs. Sousuke had really landed the body blows. 'He really has put on the muscle.' she thought to herself. 'I guess lifting engine blocks will do that.'

Kaname had finished with the right hand and wanted to check the bloody nose. Sousuke pulled the pack away from his face and both girls saw he was starting to look like a raccoon. Kaname chuckled and asked him, "So, what have we learned from this Sousuke?"

Kaname was trying to make a joke, but Sousuke's cluelessness caught up to him. He took the question quite seriously. And for once Kaname wasn't worried about the clueless answer. Sousuke just sounded so funny with his accented English and plugged, probably broken nose. "That Stoppable-san is much more formidable in hand to hand then anyone gives him credit for."

Kim narrowed her eyes at the knocked out Ron and started getting a little tweaked. She was thinking the very same thing. She was also thinking 'How long has he been keeping it a secret?'


	8. Let The Bodies Hit The Floor

Chapter 8 Let The Bodies Hit The Floor

Song by Drowning Pool

Ron slowly returned to the world with his head feeling like it was going to, hopefully, fall off. Soon. Maybe it wouldn't hurt so much. For the second time that day he became aware of emerald eyes framed by a fiery halo. 'She is beautiful, give her that. But she looks a little green around the gills, wonder why.'

Groaning a bit, he blinked as in room started to come back into focus. "Uuuuggggghhhh! Did anyone get the license of the truck?"

"Ron, are you OK?"

Ron just cocked an eyebrow at her and said, "I'm lying on the floor after being knocked unconscious, so that would be a, NO. But I'll be OK." Ron tenderly grasped his jaw and slowly worked it around, groaning in the process, the right side of his face already starting to show a large bruise. Looking up at the raccooned Sousuke, he offered "Dude, you got a hell of a right, I'll give you that. How's the nose?"

It looked like it was broken and Sousuke spoke with a very nasal tone, "I will survive, Stoppable-san. The bleeding stopped quickly and I was able to reset the break."

Ron's jaw dropped open causing a blinding rush that had him in tears. Once the pain diminished, he thought, 'He reset his own nose?!?! MAN that had to hurt!!!' It was then he figured out what had Kim looking like she was ready to hurl. Ron had been on the football field more then enough to know about broken noses. He'd even helped the trainers hold someone down while they set them. And Kim seemed to have a problem with blood anyway. Just look at how she handled being around her mom's job.

Turning his astonished gaze from the Soldier to Kim he asked, "You OK? Ya look like ya might need a bucket."

"I'm just really wishing I hadn't eaten that second Chimmirito earlier." Kim hadn't really believed Kaname when she told her about Sousuke pulling shrapnel from his own stomach, but she did now. She had no idea what was going to happen when he had asked his girl friend for a mirror. When Kaname pulled one from the box, Kim had wondered what else is in there. Sousuke merely looked into the mirror, trying to see which way his nose had shifted. Then she nearly fainted when Sousuke interlaced his fingers and with little more then a grunt shoved his broken nose back into place. Then he used the mirror to check for straightness. The grinding, breaking pine branch sound was one she would never forget. When Sousuke was satisfied with his handiwork, he picked up the cold pack, reapplied it to the bridge of his nose, laid back and let Kaname finish her ministrations.

Looking back at Sousuke, something Ron had heard his Uncle Roger say seemed appropriate. "You reset your own nose? Man, I gotta tell ya, your harder then woodpecker lips."

It took Kaname a second to get the gist and Kim looked at Ron with a 'Say What?' expression. Sousuke just looked confused. "But Stoppable-san, creatures of the Class Aves don't have lips, they have beaks."

Kaname was the first to start sniggering followed by Ron's chuckling and Kim's giggling. In a moment the girls were laughing and Ron was laugh/groaning because of the hit he had taken.

It was in the midst of the laughing when the familiar Beep beep da beep of the Kimmunicator sounded. Activating the wrist mounted device, Kim saw Wades' image and before she could say anything the young genius broke in, "Kim, I need to talk to Ron quick."

"What's the sitch, Wade?"

"Please put Ron on, it's important."

Hearing his name, Ron looked over Kim's shoulder, "What's up, Wade?"

"Ron, your still at that guy, Sagaras' place, right?"

"Yea, what's going on?"

Wade started furiously hammering his keyboard, "I have transport enroute you now." Wade looked at Ron, noticing the mission clothes. "Your suited up, good. Get ready for a mission."

Kim was confused. Ron on a mission? Without her? "Wade?"

"I had a hit from the Seniors. They are threatening to shut of the water supply to Luxembourg unless Ron shows up at their place. And before you say anything, he said if **you** showed up, it would be a lot worse."

"What? Why Ron?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen any activity from the Seniors since before the invasion. This came out of nowhere. No sudden increase in spending, no major construction on the island, no new buildings, no broadcast announcements. Nothing. I don't know, Kim. All I know is there was a hit on the site saying that unless Ron shows up there in less than," Wade glanced off screen for a second, "five hours, fifty-five minutes, then he would kill the water supply to Luxembourg. And if **you** came with him, then it would be a lot more then just the one country. I. Don't. Know. Ron, transport will be there in ten, get ready."

"You got it Wade, all I have to do is grab my pack."

A very nasal accented voice startled Team Possible. "I shall accompany you, Stoppable-san." Sousuke had started to rearm himself as he was speaking.

Kim turned on Sousuke, "If anybody goes, it's me."

"The terrorist's instructions state that your appearance would aggravate the situation. But they mentioned no one else. Stoppable-san is injured and not at full capacity. Backup is essential. Therefore I should be the one to go."

Wade added his two cents. "He's right." Wade looked at Kim hard. "God knows he's qualified."

Ron took charge, looked at Kim and said, "I don't like it, but we don't have time to argue. He goes."

"Ron?"

"Look, I don't think Senior is serious. Who knows, maybe he just wants to talk or a fight. But he hasn't done anything yet, so let's do what we can to prevent it. You wait here." he started heading to the locker room where he had left his pack. He looked over his shoulder and added, "Besides, if you're here, he can't capture both of us. That means if something happens, you'll know about it and can back us up if we need it." Then he hollered in Kims direction, "Appreciate the early warning, Wade. I don't even have time to get some snackage. This tanks." With that, he ducked into the locker room.

Kim's emotions were jumping between anger, pride, hope and fear. The anger was ill-defined aimed at Ron, Wade, Sousuke for standing up to her, but most of it was aimed at Senior for excluding her. She was proud of how Ron was stepping up to deal with the sitch. The hope that maybe, just maybe, they could work things out. And she was afraid for him going on a mission without her. No, not afraid, she was terrified.

Sousuke finished rearming himself and was quietly talking to Kaname. He said, "I should hurry, transport will be here soon."

Kaname had never liked it when he went away like this, but it was a part of who he was. "You be careful, Sousuke. I'll have dinner waiting, OK. I'll make those plain rolls you like so much." Being careful of his broken nose, she kissed him and then buried her head in his shoulder.

He laid his cheek against her head wishing he could smell her. Her hair, the fragrance of her perfume, Kaname. Releasing a breath, he let her go and headed for the door following Ron. As he passed Kim, looking at the door Ron went through, he heard her say in a low cracking voice, "If he gets hurt, you will pay, for the rest of your **short, miserable life**." She glared at Sousuke with tears starting in her eyes and green fire met cold steel gray. "Do you understand me, **Sergeant!**"

"Completely Possible-san." Outside they could hear the whine of the turbo-fans from the hover-jet. "You have my word. I'll bring him home." Sousuke grabbed his weapons duffel and left the Dojo.

Kim heard Kaname say, "Sousuke always keeps his word. He'll bring Ron back safe and sound." then her voice cracked a bit. "Or die trying."

**********

They hadn't been in the air an hour when Ron spoke up. He actually liked Triple S. He was a gentleman, of the old definition. He treated everyone, even his enemies with at least a modicum of respect. He really didn't see the need for Sousuke to be there but he couldn't argue with the reasons both Sousuke and Wade had laid out. There was something he had to bring up though.

"Look man, I know these people, OK. So, uh, what say you don't shoot them." Ron could tell through the neutral expression that the Soldier wore that Sousuke was pissed.

Sousuke just gave the blond a bland look, but his eyes were glittering with a strange intensity. "Define shoot. Do you mean with lethal ordinance, or in general. Kaname is making plain rolls tonight, they are a favorite of mine. We haven't even been able to unpack yet. And now we have to go deal with a terrorist. This is a problem."

"You could've stayed."

"No Stoppable-san, I couldn't. You are injured. This is a fact. You are not at 100%. This is also a fact. And Toshimaru-sama would never forgive me if I let anything happen to you. So I will accompany you while you deal with the terrorist."

"Look, I think he just wants to talk"

"Talk? Stoppable-san, this man has threatened terroristic activities."

Ron nodded, "Yea, but he only threatened Luxembourg"

Sousuke was astounded, "Only Luxembourg, isn't that enough?

"If he was serious, it would have been Europe, I really think he just wants to talk." Ron paused for a second. "You gotta understand, man. I feel kind of responsible for this guy. A few years back, me and Kim heard about this rich dude and his wasteful lifestyle. Leaving all the lights on his island on 24/7. The water flowing into the lagoon nonstop. Things like that."

"Naturally, Kim, with her eco-friendly mindset, wanted to set the man straight. So here comes Team Possible, starring Kim Possible, the girl who can do anything, and her trusty sidekick, Ron Stoppable, the man with the unstoppable mouth."

"Mind you, what nobody bothered to find out, was where this man got his electricity and water supply. Seems many years ago, when this man was setting up his island abode, he wanted it to be as self sufficient as possible. So he had a geo-thermal station installed and a whole bunch of cisterns built around the island to catch rain water. He even sold power to shore facilities at a cut rate, as long as it went to people in need. And the water flowing from the fountains into the lagoon was overflow from the cisterns. He had electricity to burn and more water then he could ever use.

"So here we come. Kim aggravates the man with her talk of timer switches, high efficiency light bulbs and low flow faucets. He wasn't even a villain then, just a bored old man, with more money then God. And me?" Sigh "I open my big mouth and start talking about 'Spinning Tops Of Doom' and self activating lasers and piranha filled moats. And I turned a bored old man into one of our top five bad guys."

"Now, I use it as a personal 'Ron Stoppable' example of when to shut the fuck up."

Sousuke was taken aback by the expletive as he pondered what Ron had said and asked, "So we won't have to battle our way in?"

Holding up a finger, Ron answered, "Oh, I didn't say that. We'll have to fight. It's part of the 'Big Book of Villainy'." He air quoted.

"Something else you have to understand about Triple S." Seeing Sousuke's slightly puzzled look, he added while ticking off the S's on his hand "Senor Senior Senior, Triple S, anyway, he's honorable." Ron's brow furrowed while he tried to find a way to explain it to the Soldier. "I guess you could say he treats people with respect, even his enemies."

"He's 'chivalrous'?" Sousuke ventured, trying to understand.

Ron snapped his fingers, exclaiming, "YEA, that's it. Chivalrous. He might try to run you through, but he'll do to your face. The whole raise the visor before the charge thing."

"I see. How sure are you about his motives?"

"Pretty sure. Seriously, if he really meant it, he would have threatened all of Europe and maybe the world. He only took up villainy as a hobby."

"A hobby? When Kaname told me to find a better hobby, I started to learn to play the guitar. I certainly wouldn't have become an international terrorist."

"Terrorist is a little harsh, don't you think?"

"No Stoppable-san, I don't. When someone threatens violence in an attempt to force political or social change, it is the textbook definition of a terrorist. It is best when someone wishes to change their situation through peaceful means. However, when they decide to use violence, physical, physiological, economic, it doesn't matter, then they are taking away other peoples freedoms. Gandhi showed the world how you could create sociopolitical change without violence. Violence begets violence. Violent actions dictate a certain response." Sousuke's cold gray eyes bored into Ron's brown ones. "And for the last several years, I have been a part of that response."

He glanced at his watch and said, "We have approximately four and a half more hours flight time before we reach the LZ. We should rest. It is just after 16:00 hours and I have been awake since before 21:00 last night." Putting words into action, Sousuke leaned his head back, placed another cold pack on the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. Leaving Ron to think about the things his new partner had said.

Could it be true? Were the villains he and Kim had faced actually terrorists? He had never thought about it like that. One sentence pounded through Ron's head. 'When someone threatens violence in an attempt to force political or social change, it is the textbook definition of a terrorist.'

Hadn't Drakken, Dementor, Monkey Fist, The Seniors and all the rest threatened the world if they didn't get what they wanted? The answer was yes, but did that make them terrorists? Terrorists blew up cars, flew planes into buildings and set off road side bombs or walked into a shop wearing a Semtex vest.

Ron knew he wouldn't get much sleep, he had a lot of thinking to do.

**********

Kaname watched as Sousuke walked out the door of the Dojo. She was already planning the coming meal. She knew she would have to make something that would keep for a while since she didn't know when he would be home. A stew or heavy soup for the main dish would work. And Sousuke's favorite rolls, with just a hint of butter.

Looking at Kim she said, "I could use a hand unpacking the kitchen stuff. Can you help?"

"Kitchen, uh, that might be a bad idea. Me and cooking mix about like fire and gas. Come to think about it. Fire and gas might actually be safer."

"OK, no cooking for you then. But I still need to unpack. Keep me company? We can talk about our guys."

Sigh "I don't have a 'guy' right now."

Kaname just looked at her like she had grown a second head.

"Come on, lets head upstairs."

When they reached the apartment, Kaname started sorting the boxes by area. Bathroom, bedrooms, living room, and to Kim's discomfort, the kitchen. Once she had the boxes sorted, she opened the ones for the kitchen and loaded the dishwasher with the things she would need first. Kim started moving the rest of the boxes into the appropriate areas.

Kaname asked Kim to show her where the grocery store was and they left in the car. Eleanor was still a bit put out by Kim and her comment earlier, but Kaname told the A.I. to drop it, saying she had made the same mistake before. They spent some time browsing through the area, Kim pointing out things the other girl might need to know. Which salons to avoid, where to find great deals on slacks and shoes, which stores had the best selections on accessories.

After they returned from the grocery with the trunk and backseat loaded with little plastic bags, Kim helped to move them into the kitchen while Kaname started loading the cabinets and the fridge. When Kaname offered the shorter girl a drink, seeing Sousuke's coffee maker, Kim requested and got coffee, black, no sugar.

Kaname took Kim's warning about her kitchen dyslexia to heart and had Kim sit at the table while she started cleaning, cutting and chopping ingredients. They chatted about many things, but Kim really wanted to know something. "How did you know?"

"Know what?"

"You had that Taser aimed at me before they finished fighting. How did you know what I was going to do?"

Kaname just gave an understanding smile. "It wasn't hard to figure out. It was the same thing I would have done if someone tried to beat up Sousuke."

"You knew he would win, how?"

"You said it yourself. Sousuke's a lot more ruthless then either of you. You saw it. Who was more willing to take a hit? Who tried to avoid it?"

"I saw the video from when you ran into Will Du. You were going to shoot him, weren't you?"

"Maybe. I know I thought about it."

"Why? It wasn't that bad, was it?"

Kaname paused for a second, "When you've been kidnapped, more then once, shot at, more then once, and had people trying to experiment on you, you get more then a little nervous when the ground disappears on you."

"I guess."

But to really answer your first question, it's easy to see how much you care for him, and how much he cares about you. And when he's threatened, your first instinct is to try and protect him. I think that's half the problem between you two. Ronald-san has asked himself 'How far?', you haven't."

"What do you mean?"

"Would you kill for him?"

"What?!"

"You have a choice, a decision to make. And I would suggest you think about your choice, before the circumstances force your decision."

Kim was more frightened by this young woman, calmly chopping vegetables for tonight's repast, then Shego had ever scared her. "What are you talking about?"

Kaname paused in her knife work and just looked at her for a moment. Looking back down she continued. "A little over five months ago something happened to me and Sousuke. For the first time someone had taken him instead of coming after me. They were Yakuza. And they were after payback. Sousuke fouled them up the year before when they kidnapped me and a friend of mine. They wanted to use her to force her father into giving them concessions and I was caught in the crossfire. Sousuke armed and led the rescue team."

"The Group was decimated. Something like 50% of them were sent to the hospital for smoke inhalation, possible concussions, tear gas exposure, whole bunch of other injuries and about 85% of their men wound up in jail. It took a while, but the gangsters figured out who did it, and why."

"They caught Sousuke coming from school. I had gone home to make dinner and get ready for our 'date'. He was taking me to the track, teaching me to drive. Anyway, to make a long story short, I rescued him for a change. Me and Eleanor, with Al's help, found where they were holding him, assaulted the place and got him out."

"That's…… not the point here though. The point is, that before I left the safe house, I had to realize something and make a decision. I had to realize what Sousuke would do for me. And the decision was 'How far?' "

Kaname looked up from her vegetables and bored her deep brown eyes into the green ones of the other girl. Kim could swear she saw smoke or a haze rising there. "What Sousuke would do for me? The answer is anything. He would die for me, he would live for me, and he would kill for me. And how far? How far was **I** willing to go to protect the ones I love? How could I possibly do any less?"

"It hadn't really sunk in though. I knew it in my head, but not my gut. Near the end of the operation, I had gotten in, laid down smoke and CS gas for some concealment and stun grenades for the shock effect, got Sousuke loose, and we were getting into Eleanor to escape." Kaname paused and looked down at her hands as her eyes became haunted and filled with unshed tears while her bottom lip trembled. "I looked up and through the smoke I saw a figure. He had a gun and it was pointed at Sousuke. I didn't even think, I raised the shot gun I was carrying and pulled the trigger. He flew back into the smoke and disappeared. It was the first time I had ever fired a lethal weapon in anger."

Kaname looked up as the tears started to flow. "And the fact that the shotgun was loaded with low velocity CS rounds and didn't even really hurt the man that bad, didn't matter. What mattered was I shot someone. I froze. Sousuke got me into the car and got us out of there."

Kaname wiped savagely at her eyes like the tears offended her "Later he was able to help me through it. Put it in the right perspective. He showed me that what I did was **not** wrong. All they had to do was leave things alone. They came after him, tied him to a chair and beat the crap out him. And nobody does that to my man."

Kaname had put the knife down earlier and now she got nose to nose with the shorter girl, and growled "I was right then, Sousuke was right before, and Ron was right on your graduation day. Sometimes killing the enemy is the only way."

"And the decision you have to make, is 'How far?' How far are **you** willing to go to protect the ones you love? And I would suggest you think about it, soon. Long and hard. Before your having to make the choice in a crisis."

**********

Forty-five minutes out from the LZ, Sousuke woke up to see Ron already up with his back to him, getting his gear ready. He had strapped on a grappler and had pulled a tanto from the pack. Sousuke watched in amazement as Ron held the blade parallel to the deck and concentrated on the blade. It shifted into a Bo staff, then a wakizashi, a naginata, a full length katana finally settling in the form of nunchaku which he stuffed into a sheath obviously hanging on the back of his equipment belt for the purpose.

"Stoppable-san?"

Sousuke evidently startled Ron, because he spun while opening the distance by jumping backwards. Somehow the Katana had reappeared in his hands which he was holding with the hilt near his right waist, the blade rising straight up. Seeing only the Soldier that came with him, he blew out a hard breath and said, "Don't do that. You scared the wits outta me."

Sousuke knew it was either Ron had always startled easily or it was another symptom of his ongoing PTSD. He didn't know which and he wanted to avoid any further complications, so he would wait until he could covertly question the people who knew Ron best.

"I apologize, I did not mean to." Looking at the Katana Ron still held, he said, "That, however, is a very handy weapon. I've never seen one that could shift forms like that. Where did you acquire it?"

"Seeing as you know Master Sensei so well, I guess there's no harm in you knowing. It's the Lotus Blade. I was chosen to be it's Master."

"Master? Please explain."

He scratched his head as he groped for the words. "It's… alive. Not like you or me, but it's alive. It really doesn't have a will of it's own, but it does have a purpose. And it won't be used against that purpose. It wants to fight for right. Sensei told me a lot about it's past." He looked at the Blade, staring into the forged steel just above the hilt. "And it's bloody one. But the Blade always chooses it's Master and tries to make a bond with them. It chooses people who have, as Sensei says, a sense of Justice. Who fight for those who can't fight for themselves."

"May I see it?"

"Sure, but what ever you do, **Do Not Touch It**. It might hurt you."

Ron held the Blade with his right hand under the hilt and his left supporting the blade. The lights from the cabin glittered and flashed from the polished steel and the simple wire bound hilt showed no adornment. It looked like an exceptionally well made single edge Katana from before the Edo period of Japan. It was a beautiful and deadly example of the sword smiths art.

"Sugoi." (Amazing) Sousuke murmured in Japanese. "This is a beautiful blade Stoppable-san. Thank you for the chance to see it."

Ron shifted the Katana back to into nunchaku and put them back into the pouch.

Sousuke looked at his watch and said, "We have approximately thirty minutes before we reach the LZ." He kneeled beside his weapons bag and pulled out some MRE's. "Are you hungry?"

"DUDE, you got food in there. Man, don't you know, I'm always hungry."

Sousuke passed Ron one of the MRE's and they sat back down and had at. Ron opened his package and found to his delight, "Franks and beans, Coolio. This is great." there was a bit of disappointment though. "Aw man, peanut butter, I was hoping for some Jalapeño cheese."

Sousuke shuddered and passed the cheese and flat bread from his meal. "Thanks man, here, have this." Ron handed Sousuke the peanut butter and crackers. "You gonna eat that brownie?"

Sousuke glared at the blond so hard Ron drew back. "I'll take that as a 'yes'. Never mind." They dug into the meals and Sousuke passed Ron a canteen and canteen cup from the bag. "Man you really do come prepared don't ya?"

"I try, Stoppable-san." Sousuke was thinking about the coming mission. "Stoppable-san, this person we are going to face. He is one of your foes. Therefore you should lead. Agreed?"

Ron was a little wide eyed. No one, absolutely no one had ever suggested that he be the leader. When he had gone on missions with Kim, it was natural for her to have the job. And the missions he had been alone on there was no one else. Even the football team took orders from the quarter-back. Not Ron Stoppable, the holder of several state rushing records. And here was this Veteran saying he was the leader.

"Uh, sure. I have the lead." Ron wasn't sure if Sousuke was serious of not, but he would give him a shot. Ron opened his pack and handed Sousuke a grappler, saying "You'll be needing one of these. Be careful though, they have a tendency of ripping pants." 'Especially mine' he muttered.

**********

They entered the central foyer through a window set high on the wall to one side of the main door after using the grapplers to reach the decorative landing. Ron looked around the room with the practiced eyes of someone who had been there more then once. And Sousuke scanned the room section by section, foot by foot, checking every panel, seam and join, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Ron could see where Senior had made additions to the room's equipment. Glancing to his right, he asked, "Did you really mean it when you said I was in charge?"

"Yes, Stoppable-san, I might have more combat experience, but you are far more familiar with both our opponent and the situation." Sousuke's stock just went up as far as Ron was concerned.

"OK, wait here, once I clear a space, you move down to the floor, over by those statues and keep an eye out. Stay out of the way unless I go down."

"Understood, Stoppable-san."

"Hey, gimme a couple of those flash/bangs and some smoke. Those could be handy."

Sousuke just peeled off the whole belt containing the stun and smoke grenades and passed it over to the blond. Ron fastened the belt and pulled the out nunchaku Lotus Blade. Closing his eyes, he opened himself partly to the Power. Sousuke swore he could hear monkeys. A whole troop of chimps starting to hoot and holler. Ron opened his eyes as they hazed blue and he shifted the Blade through several forms until he got a Bo. Shucking his grappler, he aimed at the chandelier and let fly. Snapping the return, he was pulled almost horizontally.

As he flew through the air Ron released his hold on the Mystical Monkey Power and let it flow. Ron was in no danger of hurting anyone here, except for maybe himself. Senior didn't use goons or Henchmen©, he relied on his equipment, technology and his own skills. And since Senior wasn't in the room, Ron knew he would only have to face mindless machines and inanimate objects.

_Let the bodies hit the floor  
Let the bodies hit the floor  
Let the bodies hit the floor  
Let the bodies hit the.... FLOOOOORRR!!!_

Three-quarters of the way to the chandelier, Ron let go of the grappler and arced into the middle of the room. He landed, rolled once to scrub the momentum and came to one knee with the Blade in hand. Looking around he saw the rich wood panels in the wall sliding aside to release the first wave of Tops and others in the upper walls flicking to reveal the lasers. The muzzles were glowing as they charged in preparation to fire. He screamed. Not in fear or terror, but like an enraged chimpanzee, eyes glowing a feral blue.

Sousuke was treated to a performance that reminded him of his actions in Hong Kong last year against the maniac Gates and his crew of Venoms. Partly aerial, partly ground based, it was a lethal ballet that roamed over the entire room and up the walls. Sousuke knew there was no way he could have matched it without either the Arbalest or a lot of explosives.

_Beaten why for (why for) can't take much more  
Here we go, here we go, here we go now_

_  
One - Nothing wrong with me  
Two - Nothing wrong with me  
Three - Nothing wrong with me  
Four - Nothing wrong with me_

_  
One - Something's got to give  
Two - Something's got to give  
Three - Something's got to give  
Now!!!(you can't hurt me!)_

Ron whirled the Bo shaped Blade in one hand, the other extended to maintain a center of gravity and moved. He advanced on the first of the Tops and ducked under the blades slapping the base point hard with the Lotus Blade causing it to wobble a bit and go off course. It slid to the side and into the path of two more Tops forcing the automatons to adjust course around the misguided one. That gave Ron a whole quarter he didn't have to watch for a moment and second to concentrate on the rest of the room.

_  
Let the bodies hit the floor  
Let the bodies hit the floor  
Let the bodies hit the_

_Floor!!!  
_

_Let the bodies hit the floor  
Let the bodies hit the floor  
Let the bodies hit the  
Floor!!!!  
_

_Now!!!  
_

He headed to the section he had told Sousuke to go to and proceeded to smash the Tops there. Lasers tried to get a bead on him, but he was moving to fast. Their prediction software couldn't quite keep up and Ron was able to stay just ahead of them. Ron followed a straight line for a few seconds letting one of the Tops follow him towards the statues he pointed out to Sousuke. He planted the Blade at the baseboard of the wall and pole vaulted up just before the Top caught up to him. He rebounded off the wall and over the Top as it hit the wall and statues and exploded.

_Push me again  
This is the end_

Here we go, here we go, here we go now

_One - Nothing wrong with me  
Two - Nothing wrong with me  
Three - Nothing wrong with me  
Four - Nothing wrong with me  
_

_One - Something's got to give  
Two - Something's got to give  
Three - Something's got to give  
Now!!!(you can't hurt me!)(you can't hurt me!)  
_

Ron landed and screamed up to the Soldier. "GO." Sousuke used the Grappler Ron had given him to rappel to the 'safe zone'. Ron shifted the Blade into a Katana and ducked under another Top pushing his Blade up into the spinning ones of the Top, shearing them off and causing the Top to tumble and flip out of control. It impacted with another Top destroying both of them. He darted to the side drawing the rest of the Tops in pursuit. As he went he shucked one of the flash/bangs and pulled the pin.

_Let the bodies hit the floor  
Let the bodies hit the floor  
Let the bodies hit the  
Floor!!!_

_  
Let the bodies hit the floor  
Let the bodies hit the floor  
Let the bodies hit the floor_

_  
Skin against skin blood and bone  
You're all by yourself but you're not alone  
You wanted in an' now you're here  
Driven by hate consumed by fear  
_

Then he did something very, VERY dangerous. He let it cook off. He released the spoon, but held onto the grenade for a few seconds. Just before in went off he tossed it into the path of the onrushing Tops. The sound had no effect, but the flash blinded their visual sensors long enough for Ron to pull and set off a smoke grenade. Ron kept moving as he cooked off the rest of the smokes and tossed them into the air. Two of them landed in the chandelier filling the upper part of the room with enough smoke to attenuate the lasers to the point they were ineffective.

_Let the bodies hit the floor  
Let the bodies hit the floor  
Let the bodies hit the floor  
Let the bodies hit the FLOOOOOOORRRRRRRRR!!!  
_

Once the smoke was dense enough, he took off running towards the wall avoiding the remaining Tops and ran up the wall enough to vault off of the decorative molding near the top and slice off the barrel of the first laser. After his strike he pushed off the wall to somersault into the center of the room and moved to the other side to repeat the performance. Along the way he ducked under another Top, slicing the off the base. The Top gyrated completely out of control and smashed into a line of the second wave of Tops bouncing several into each other and the walls. So far he was six for six lasers with two lasers remaining and only had three Tops left.

_  
One - Nothing wrong with me  
Two - Nothing wrong with me  
Three - Nothing wrong with me  
Four - Nothing wrong with  
_

_One - Something's got to give  
Two - Something's got to give  
Three - Something's got to give  
Now!!!  
_

He charged a pair of the remaining Tops, leaping on top of one and running like a logger on a log in the river. When the second came close enough he jumped from one to the other and let them smash into each other. Bouncing up to the mounding just before impact, he hacked at the laser mounted there. Using the momentum from his fall he tumbled across the floor and went up the wall towards the last laser. After killing the last laser and vaulting into the center of the room, he waited. Watching as the last of the Spinning Tops of Doom came in on a kamikaze course.

Bouncing the blade of the katana shaped Lotus Blade off the floor, it shifted into a naginata. He twirled it in a parody of the Tops, spinning like a dervish and advanced against the mindless machine, screaming bloody murder. He didn't even sound human. More like a furious Silverback. Sousuke was starting to get worried. If Stoppable lost it, there wouldn't be much he could do to prevent him from becoming a berserker.

_  
Let the bodies hit the floor  
Let the bodies hit the floor  
Let the bodies hit the  
Floor!!!  
_

_Let the bodies hit the floor  
Let the bodies hit the floor  
Let the bodies hit the floor_

The last Top just disintegrated, flying apart like it had been tossed into a blender. Ron whirled, looking for more enemies, growling. Sousuke, very carefully, left the shelter of the statues. Keeping his hands to his sides, palms out, he talked calmly and quietly to the nearly berserk young warrior. "It's finished, Stoppable-san. You are victorious. You've won. Please calm yourself."

Ron was panting from the exertions, gritting his teeth, nostrils flaring, his eyes nearly an incandescent blue/white. Slowly, the blaze faded, dropping to a cool azure as Ron got control of himself. Standing up from his combat stance, he looked down at the Blade, shifted it back into nunchaku and slipped it back into the pouch.

They heard a clapping from overhead. There standing on the landing leading to the second floor was the impeccably dressed Senor Senior Senior. "Bravo, Mr. Stoppable, Bravo. An excellent performance." The elderly multi-billionaire narrowed his eyes when he saw Sousuke. "However I feel I might be forced to enact the consequences I mentioned when I requested your presence through young Master Load. The request was for you to come alone."

Sousuke spoke up saying, "No sir, your message merely mentioned additional consequences if Possible-san accompanied Stoppable-san. There was no mention of anyone else."

Senior raised his finger and opened his mouth in preparation to say something when a look of consternation crossed his aristocratic features. "You are of course correct, young man. Forgive me. The error is mine. I merely assumed that Ms. Possible would be the only one to accompany Mr. Stoppable." Looking at the blond he said, "Mr. Stoppable, would you be so kind as to introduce us."

"Sure thing. Senior, this is Sousuke Sagara. A new GJ agent. Sagara, Senor Senior Senior. One of the richest men in the world."

"Sagara, where have I heard that name before?" Senior asked himself. "No matter, it will come to me. It's a pleasure to meet you young man. However I find myself curious. Why didn't you assist Mr. Stoppable in his endeavor to penetrate my defenses?"

"Because Stoppable-san asked me to remain in reserve unless he needed assistance, Sir. He didn't."

Senior was wearing a huge smile. "No he didn't, did he? As I said before, an excellent performance, Mr. Stoppable. You showed skill, courage and ingenuity."

"Uh, thanks, Senior. But why the threat about Kim coming along."

Several reasons, young man. First, I heard about what happened on your Graduation Day, and your actions then. I wanted to test **you**, personally. I wanted to make sure that you're recovering from what happened that day. You have been an honorable foe, and it would be a shame if you never battled again. Secondly, I wanted to avoid what happened to Dementor and his… thugs. Since her injury is what precipitated your chastisement of them, I felt it would be safer for all if her presence was excluded." The multi-billionaire suddenly became grim. "And third, I have come into possession of information that concerns you, personally. I wished to speak to you about it without interference."

Ron just looked at Sousuke and said, "Told ya." Seeing the questioning look Senior had he added. "Just a conversation we had on the way over. I wanted to make sure he didn't shoot you."

"I say, that's a little extreme, don't you think."

"He said something else, and I've had a few hours to think about it. And from his point of view, he's right."

"And what was that, Mr. Stoppable?"

"He called you a terrorist."

Senior exploded "HOW DARE YOU. I AM MANY THINGS, A VILLAIN OF THE HIGHEST CALIBER. BUT I AM NOT A TERRORIST."

"Sagara, define terrorist."

Sousuke looked at the enraged billionaire and said, "Anyone who uses violence or the threat of violence, physical, physiological, economic or emotional to force a sociopolitical change or concessions from either the government or society, is a terrorist."

Senior's enraged face suddenly went back to its normal olive hue and then turned a pasty gray.

"You see, Senior, he doesn't know ya like me and Kim. We know you're just bored and wanted a new hobby. But he doesn't know any better. Anyway, we can talk about that later. What I wanna know now, is why'd you call me."

Shaking his head to clear it from the confusion placed there by the young Japanese man standing below him, "As I mentioned before, I have come into possession of information that concerns you and your family." He paused, there was no urbane or courteous way to put it. "It seems that someone has taken offense at your actions and wish to attempt reprisals. From what I can gather, they do not appear to be targeting you directly." Senior dropped his bomb. "Instead, they're going after your family."


	9. Conversations

Chapter 9 Conversations

Major shout outs to both Sentinel103 and CajunBear73 for pre-read and beta work. They found a lot of grammer and spelling brainfarts DOOHH :P

"SCHNELL, SCHNEEEEELLLLLLL. Ve must find zhe opening to zhe bunker. Do you understand. I vill accept no excuses."

Deep in the German heartland not far from the River Rhine, a team of purported archeologists were sorting through the rubble of an old German Command Bunker from the Second World War. The leaderof the team was trying exhort to his men to greater efforts through the use of an invective laden diatribe.

It wasn't working very well. Mostly because four years of constant bombardment and sixty years of construction, demolition and reconstruction, had changed the surrounding landscape to the point that the landmarks he needed to find his prize had been obliterated to the point of uselessness.

The major terrain features remained, but the lesser ones had changed drastically. He remembered the hilltops, those hadn't changed much. And the while the riverbank had shifted, it wasn't major. The repeated bombings had crushed the once-visible portions of the bunker to gravel and twisted, broken rebar.

And the trees and other vegetation had changed time and time again. Gone was the grove when he had tried vainly to woo Gundred into becoming his bride. Throughout his life only three things had he ever succeeded in: surviving, escaping the despised hunters of Zion, the Mossad, and NEVER, EVER, failing the orders of his Führer.

The short, jaundiced, in more ways then one, man knew he was maddeningly close, within 50 or 60 meters of where he needed to be. Once they got underground and into the bunker proper, he would have no problems. The bunker complex he was looking for would have survived anything the hated American B-17 and British Lancaster bombers could have thrown at it. It had been so over-engineered it probably could have survived an atomic strike. But finding the bombed-out opening was proving frustrating.

It was supposed to have been the Central Command Bunker for der Führer. But he had chosen, rightly the little man thought, to stand in the German Heart of Berlin when the American and British tanks had come crashing out of the Ardennes and Black Forest's,while the Soviet steamroller approached from the East, led by the shells of thousands of artillery pieces.

It was also a repository for many secrets. Billions of Marks worth of gold, silver and other precious metals had been lost in the death throes of the Reich. Along with years of technological, arcane, mystical and most importantly, biological research. Just one of the programs begun by Schutzstaffel, the 'Protection Squadron' had led to life extending serums. There was the small side effect of the yellowing of the skin, but it was worth it in return for slowing the bodies aging as much as 80 percent. And there were other hidden treasures that, like the ME-262 and improved Panzer IV's, arrived too late to stop the Allied onslaught.

The Wehrmacht, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS and the Luftwaffe had fought like the Berserkers of legend to try and buy the Reich time. But the Soviets in the East were willing to spend men's lives like water, throwing enough men against entrenched positions, pillboxes and defiladesthe defenders ran out of ammunition and were overrun. And in the West, no matter how many little Shermans the Panzer Corps destroyed there was always two more rolling off of the transports and into the ports of France.

Germany had been caught in a vise of Japanese making. When der Führer heard about the Pearl Harbor attack, he had been so enraged, he nearly ordered the Japanese Ambassador's executions. It was only the fast talking of his advisors that prevented it. The bombing of Pearl Harbor had pulled the Americans into the war, something Hitler wanted to prevent at all costs.

There had even been reports that the Japanese Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet, Yamamto Isokorohad strongly advised against starting a war with the Americans, but the honor bound man followed his orders and pressed home the opening attack to a war he didn't believe in. He likened it to awakening a 'Sleeping Giant'.

Although the little yellow man revered der Führer, he also knew he was human. Subject to all the foibles humanity implies. And he knew Hitler had made three major mistakes in his role as der Führer und Reichskanzler. The first, and longest reaching, had been his disregarding of the advice of his scientists.

Had the German scientific community been given just two more years before Hitler launched the Wehrmacht and the Luftwaffe into Poland, they would have been able to have jet aircraft and Panzers with better armor and more powerful, longer ranged guns than anything in the world. Radar guidance for the Luftwaffe aircraft, better radios and more time to train with them. They could have completed the heavy water experiments of the Norsk Hydro facility at Rjukan and had atomic weapons years before anyone else.

The next was launching Operation Barbarossa, either three months too late or nine months too soon. Either direction in time would have put the German Army outside the walls of Moscow either well before or well after, the ghastly winter of '41-42. The failed plan to subjugate the Russians cost the Reich millions of trained German Soldiers.

And the last and worst mistake was following with the terms of the Axis Pact and declaring war on the Americans with the idiot Japanese. How the Japanese thought they could beat the American industrial complex without their own vast domestic steel reserves baffled the best German strategists and logisticians.

When the Americans entered the war, many of the High Command, privately, VERY privately thought the cause was lost. They knew the United States had just finished rebuilding their industrial infrastructure to modern standards following The Great Depression and once they got their production lines up and running, Germany had no way to match the industrial Juggernaut the Americans represented.

However, although the Allies had a greater industrial capacity, no one in the world could match the scientists of the Reich for innovation. No one else either could or would follow the lines of research of the Josef Mengele and his peers. They had madebreakthroughs to boggle the mind. They were just too late to save the Third Reich.

Now though, more than 60 years later, there was no 'Greatest Generation', no crucible of The Great Depression to temper the arrogant Americans into some of the hardest, toughest, most ruthless fighters the world had known since the Spartans or the hordes of the Kahn.

And although those morons in the deserts of the Middle East had struck a symbolic victory on September 11, 2001, it had cost them dearly. Their patron and paymaster Hussein had been hung like a common criminal and the Al Qaeda "Great Leader bin Laden" was either hiding out in a cave like a Neanderthal or he was dead and buried in a cave in caused by an LGB (Laser Guided Bomb) dropped by an F-16 from 40,000 feet. Not the best of endings for either of them. And luckily, Yamamoto's 'Sleeping Giant' merely swatted the annoyance, rather then coming fully awake to pulverize "The Community".

It was time and past time for things to change. The contents of the bunker would both finance and arm the new Reich's Krieger. The value of the deposits inside had increased in value tremendously. What was worth a hundred Deutsche Marks in 1944 was worth five hundred or a thousand now.

A glorious new future awaited. And the opening salvo would be against the Buffoon. The first step would be to revive the Buffoon's oldest foe. The man who hated the little Untermensch as much, if not more then he did. The jaundiced little man was sure the method to bring back the English Lord lay inside. Although he had 'agreed' not to kill the Untermensch, that didn't mean he couldn't let someone else do it for him

Soon, Lord Montgomery Fiske would pay him a visit, and Ronald Dean Stoppable would not enjoy the visit

**********

Ron stood there, looking at Senior and the vision struck.

His parents lying dead at the feet of an indistinct figure holding his sister, his baby sister, by her throat. Her face was a shade of blue with her tongue distended out of her mouth. Kim was leaping to attack the figure when it threw Hana's body at her enough to knock her off course. Kim landed hard, but rolled with it and leapt back to her feet and charged again.

Along the way she jerked a bar of some kind from the rubble around them and started using it like a Bo, trying to subdue the killer of his family. He laughed, jumped away and kept a step ahead of her as he spoke with a strangely familiar voice, "I shall neither kill you nor allow you to stop me, my dear. Merely let you live, with the knowledge of your absolute failure. Your failure to protect the ones you love. To do what was necessary to win. And once our victory is achieved, I'll have you captured and caged, just so I can enjoy watching you suffer for the rest of your long, long life. HAHAHAHAHAHA"

When the vision faded, Ron dropped just as he had earlier that day. Only this time, rather then regaining consciousness, he faded into darkness.

Sousukesaw the sagging Ron and caught him before he dropped to the ground. "Stoppable-san? Stoppable-san, can you hear me?" Sousuke started checking Ron for unseen injuries muttering to himself. "Airway and breathing are good, regular and even with no laboring, no obvious bleeding or broken bones." Snatching a penlight from his kit, Sousuke checked pupillarydilation, still muttering to himself, "Both eyes reactive and equal." Dropping the light he **carefully **checked for head injury. "No distension anywhere, which rules out most concussion factors."

Senior demonstrated just how spry a man his age could be when he leapt from the landing to the floor and rolled to absorb the momentum. He stepped close to the pair and asked in a very concerned voice, "Is he alright, Mr. Sagara?"

Hearing the voice so close, Sousuke reacted on instinct and had his Glock out so fast Senior asked himself, 'Strange, where did that come from?'

It took Sousuke a moment to see that Senior meant no threat. Replacing his pistol he said, "I am detecting no injuries. I believe Stoppable-san over exerted himself in the battle." It wasn't a lie, just not the whole truth. He actually thought Ron was in the throes of another vision and passed out. He wasn't going to tell Senior that though. After all, the man had threatened terroristic actions against a unsuspecting country.

"Very good, if you will allow me to assist, we can take him to some place a bit more comfortable."

Sousuke weighed his options and decided he had no choice but to trust the elderly man, some anyway. "Thank you, Sir. That would be appreciated."

"Excellent, excuse me for a moment and I'll return with a way to transport the young man."

Looking around the huge mansion, Sousuke asked, "Sir, how far will we have to take him?"

"Up to the second floor and down the hallway, why?"

"With your assistance, we can get him there sooner."

"A cradle?"

"No Sir, firemen's carry, you would act as spotter and catch him if I fall."

"Would the carry further injure him."

"I don't believe so, Sir. I think he's just exhausted. His Combat performance would have required large energy reserves. With rest and food he should be alright."

"Then let's begin. Halfway there, we change places, agreed?"

"Agreed, Sir." In spite of himself, Sousuke found himself starting to respect this old man. He took advice and made decisions like Combat Leader.

Together they got Ron into a guest bed. Senior gave Sousuke a number for the house switchboard and Sousuke left Ron a note telling him call as soon as he woke up. He then had Senior put him in contact with Wade telling the thirteen year old the two of them were alright and staying overnight and to pass the information to concerned parties.

Once the crisis had passed, Sousuke started to feel the weight of the last three days since he and Kaname had left Merida Island. When Senior offered him a room next to Ron's his innate suspicious nature reared up until Sousuke clamped down on it.

He had to be patient until Stoppable-san was at least mobile. Because while he had little doubts about his own ability to escape, there was no way to do so while hauling an unconscious Stoppable. He would wait, be patient and see what tomorrow brought.

**********

The conversation she had with Kaname had left her shaken. 'How far?' Such a simple joining of words, until they were placed in the context the Japanese girl used. To protect others Sagara, Kaname and apparently Ron were willing to go to the limit and even beyond. After she had gone home leaving the Japanese girl waiting for her boyfriend's return, she tried talking to her mother.

She found her Mom in the kitchen finishing the dishes. "Mom, can I talk to you? It's important."

"Certainly, Kimmie. What's wrong? Is this a girl talk, mother/daughter talk or woman to woman?"

"It's a Ron and Graduation Day talk."

Anne bit her lip and looked away from her eldest child. Looking back, she said "Kimmie, I'm not the right one to talk to about this. I really think you need to talk to your Father."

"I'd rather talk to you, Mom. Please."

"Kimmie, we both know what this is about. I took an oath years ago. The very first thing it says is, 'First, do no harm.', and that's the reason I think you need to talk to your Father.

"But Daddy can be so clueless, Mom. I really need help with this."

Anne was very stern, "I didn't say talk to your 'Daddy', I said talk to your 'Father'. There's a difference."

"Huh?"

"Kimmie, you don't realize it because your not a parent. But we wear different 'hat's' depending on the situation. Sometimes he's the bungler who can't use a grill to save his life, other times he's a brilliant man who's trying to get us to the stars. At one time he was a ham-fisted new Dad bouncing his little girl on his knee after making a terrible mess of changing her diaper. Another he was a Father who had to lay down punishment for a young woman that lied to him. And I don't think we need to mention the 'Democracy Incident', do we?" Kim's jaw dropped and she went wide-eyed.

At the tender age of six, that had been one of the closest times her Father had come to swatting her on the butt. Anne had been out of town and James had just put the two year old twins to bed. Sitting at the table reading his paper, he glanced at his watch and informed her, "Kimmie-cub, it's time to take a bath."

Now the six year-old Kim wasn't amused. Earlier, Ron had been picked up by his parents and she had been told she had to stay home. Grrrrrrrr. And in Kim's six year-old mind, bath equaled bedtime. Double Grrrrrrrr. The petulant Kim let her displeasure be known. "But, I don wanna take a baff."

"Young lady, I said it's time to take a bath, march."

"But, I don wanna."

"Kimmie, you're about to get a spanking, now go."

And the little would-be tyrant put her six year-old fists on her six year-old hips, stomped her little six year-old foot and said in a clear piping voice. "But, we live in a Democracy."

James's jaw dropped. He wanted to roll out of his chair laughing. She just looked so cute standing there with her furrowed brow and six year-old mean expression. The problem was that right then, he couldn't be 'Daddy', he had to be 'Father'.

"Young lady, I don't know where you got the idea that the United States is a Democracy, but it's not, it never has been. It's a Democratically Elected, Representative **Republic**, has been since the Constitution was ratified in 1789."

He stood up from his chair and TOWERED over the now frightened Kim. "But that all stops at the front door. From the front door to the backdoor, this place is a Totalitarian Dictatorship. And I'm the Dictator. Now if you don't get to hopping, I'm going to give you a spanking. Move!" James snapped his fingers and pointed at the stairs. Little Kim scuttled away, heading towards her room to get her PJ's and got ready to take a bath.

Kim shuddered, dispelling the memory of one of the very few times that James Possible had frightened his daughter and returned her attention to her Mom. "I thought we agreed to never mention that?" She muttered.

"And now, a few months ago, he found out that someone came a hair's breadth from murdering that little girl. You didn't see it because _he _didn't let you see it, but he was furious. Those aliens were lucky that Ron dealt with them. I hate to think about what he would havedone if your Father had gotten his hands on them. As intelligent and imaginative is he is, he could have thought up some things that would have had the Marquis de Sade shaking his head."

"Now I'm not gonna talk about this anymore, go see your Father." Anne pointed at the garage and Kim could hear the capital. She really needed advice she could trust, and her Mother had always been the best source, but she was deferring in favor of a man who had always avoided 'Talks'. Where do babies come from, ask your mom, what's different about boys, ask your mom, why did grandpa go to Heaven, ask your mom, why is Ron so clueless, ask your mom.

She headed to the garage where she saw James Timothy Possible doing…something to some esoteric piece of machinery. She saw he had a bottle one of his few imported lagers in his left hand and scratching his head with his right while staring at the whatever it was.

"Daddy, can I talk to you?"

He looked up with a cheerful grin and said, "Sure thing, Kimmie-cub. What's on your mind?

"It's about what happened with Ron and the Lowardians."

The bottle in James' hand exploded. "Ugggg!"

"Daddy?!"

James had gripped the bottle so hard he'd broken it. He was bleeding from the cuts, but not badly. Kim jumped to grab the First Aid Kit they kept in the garage. With the Tweebs around, it paid to be prepared. Kim pulled out the bandages and antibiotic cream and started cleaning her fathers hand. He was muttering about himself and the kindest word was 'stupid'.

Kim was slightly surprised by his language, but kept working. Her First Aid training was getting a workout today. Ron's collapse this morning, the fight at Sagara and Kaname's place and now this.

"Are you OK, Daddy?"

Peering under the pressure bandage at his hand "Yea, doesn't look like I need stitches. I'll be alright." He looked at his daughter out of the corner of his eye. He saw the concern there. Both for him and something else. He had been expecting this conversation, albeit a few weeks ago.

Ron had approached him about a week after the Graduation and told him everything. From the start of the weird symbols being left around the world, to Warhok's proposal for having his precious Kimmie-cub stuffed and mounted and Ron's response. That was the moment that James Timothy Possible, scientist and visionary, learned to HATE. He never hated Drew or Demenz or the other villains she had faced. But at that moment he hated.

He hated someone he had never met. Both for their threat against his daughter and for his own loss of innocence. He had always believed that once a race reached a certain level of sophistication, they would leave violence behind. And he was wrong. It seemed the fight for life, the survival of the fittest, the struggle to survive never ended.

He could tell she had been hurting since she and Ron split up. And like any daddy, he wanted to bandage her skinned knee. But this wasn't a skinned knee or a cut on her finger. It was her heart, and the only ones that could fix it was her and Ron.

He didn't blame Ron, much as he might have wanted to. He knew that Kimmie's hurts were mostly self-inflicted. And Ron was hurting even more. He could only imagine what the boy was going through. One thing he did know though, was that he would have done the same thing. Those beings had threatened his little girl. As far as he was concerned, he would have done a lot more then just throwing them into a burning spaceship.

He put those thoughts behind him and addressed his little girl. He and Anne had talked about it, and they both agreed that this time, he was going to have to be the one to 'Talk' to their daughter.

Taking a breath he looked into her emerald eyes and said, "So. Ron and the Lowardians, huh?'

Kim laid out her day, from going downtown to when she left to come home, leaving out only the classified stuff, like the ARX7. Her meeting the new Agents, Ron's collapse, his surprising skill in the fight, his being called in a mission without her and most importantly, her conversations with Kaname.

"I don't know what to think anymore daddy, one of the most important things you and Mom have taught me was the sanctity of life. And Ron, of all people, Ron violated that trust. And now I have this girl telling me I need to think about whether or not I could do the same thing."

James started rubbing at his temple with his un-bandaged right hand. "Kimmie-cub, until that day, I never thought about it. It never even crossed my mind. Since then though, I have thought about it and I've gotta tell you. As much as I hate the idea, I would have done it, too." His voice started to break "Had someone threatened your Mother or you kids or even Ronnie, like that, I would have killed them. With my **bare hands**, I would have killed them!"

There was another paradigm shift as Kim just stared at the kind and gentle man who sired her. She would have never thought she would hear something like this from him. He had always been the good-natured, absent-minded man behind the paper at the table.

"That young lady is right, it's something you should think about. Particularly with the way your missions have been going. Over the last few months they've been getting tougher and more serious."

"I can tell you a way to consider it. The same way I thought about it. It's an equation. Simple math. It's either me, your Mom and the Twins, or some villain, Ron or a psychotic killer. Someone is going to die. Make your choice. The people you love or your principles. And some ambiguous principles are a cold comfort when laid against the lives of the people you love."

'Sigh', "Kimmie-cub, you seem to have a strange double-standard."

"What do you mean?"

You don't seem to think that Combat Veterans are murderers or a police officer that is forced to kill a suspect. But you do for Ronald. Why? What's different?

That was something Kim had thought hard about over the intervening months, and after meeting Sagara and Kaname and the talk she was having with her Father, her thoughts coalesced into an epiphany, and she started to cry. "Daddy, who's the gentlest person you know?"

James answered instantly, without thought, "Ron. You know, I don't think I've ever seen that boy lose his temper."

"That's what's so hard about this. If someone like Ron can be capable of it, what's that say about me? The whole world knows about the famous 'Kim Possible Temper', and if Ron can take a life, as sweet and gentle as he is, there's almost no chance I won't unless I give up the missions. And I don't want to give them up, I like helping people.

"The missions may be a moot point for a while, Kimmie-cub. There's something I think I should tell you. There's a group of…liberal retards that are trying on behalf of Warhok and Warmonga of Lowardia, in absentia, to bring murder charges, two counts, against one Ronald Dean Stoppable."

"WHAT?!?! Are they out of their minds? Ron saved everyone on the planet and they try to do this to him?!" Kim was very close to understanding what Kaname and her father were talking about. So close, she was breaking into tears. "How could they?! Where the hell do they get off thinking he's a murderer?!"

"Kimmie-cub, calm down, it's under control. The President is handling it."

That stopped her tirade in midstride. "The... the President?"

"Yes, he was absolutely livid when he heard about it. So much so that, he pardoned Ron before they could even really get started. It cut 'em off at the knees. I heard that groups lawyers were pulling their hair out trying to figure out a way around it. Seems a few of them were looking forward to a few years of very expensive work."

"Why hasn't anyone said anything about this, Daddy? I mean this is big news, it should have been the lead story on every TV and newspaper on the planet. Oh God, I can see it now. 'Team Possible Sidekick a Murderer', story at six. How long has this been going on, Daddy?"

"A few weeks. Someone anonymously hired an entire legal team to defend Ron. Someone with a lot of money. No one on the team is talking, either they don't know or they won't say who hired them. The first thing out of the gate, they motioned for a gag order. Shut everybody down. We think the news outlets know already and their just waiting for the right time to go public. That means they're waiting for the biggest impact. So far the team has been able to keep it out of the media, but it won't last much longer."

"But why are they doing this? I mean those aliens where going to take over the world. What are they thinking?"

"I asked the legal team the same thing. They said it's like those people trying to get a stay of execution for a death row inmate that doesn't want their help. So now, every time these…clowns try to file a motion against Ron, the team buries them in countermotions"

"Ron's Dad's been keeping me and your mom up-to-date. He told us today that the lawyers for the group are going to be able to get the gag order removed in the next few days. So get ready. You know how the media is. Kimmie-cub, this is going to be like a shark's feeding frenzy, and you and Ron are the chum."

"There is good news. Under Lowardian law, Ron's innocent. AND, there won't be another invasion."

Kim blinked, "Huh?"

"One of the reasons the U.N. pardoned Drew was he helped translate the alien database. Part of the wreckage from the ship contained the central computer systems. The ship didn't self destruct, it crashed. I design spacecraft, Kimmie-cub. And the central systems are among the best protected parts of any ship design. If they go, the ship goes."

"So you do everything you can to protect the systems. Most of the computers survived the crash. And the aliens were so arrogant they didn't even have any security for them. Entire teams of experts have been going over the database for weeks. The whole ship is being examined, everything from power generation to food processing. It's better then a gold mine. The things we'll learn are.." James was starting to lecture, thinking about how the wreckage would jumpstart humanity to the stars.

"Daddy, focus, Ron."

"Oh, anyway, part of the database was Legal. We already knew the Lowardians are a Warrior race. And that had a serious impact on their laws. Apparently the Earth has a Champion who defeated not one, but two Lowardian Warriors in single combat. It's the 'two' that's important."

"From what Legal said, if Ron had defeated one Warrior, it really didn't mean anything. He just beat a Warrior. But the aliens 'ganged up' on Ron. They acted dishonorably. That's one of the reasons the Lowardians use Walkers. No one can beat them in single combat, so they call out their armies. That's not single combat. The Lowardians can then conquer a world within the rules using Walkers."

"But that's not what happened here. Ron beat the both of them by himself. No firearms, technology, or advanced weapons. He would have been allowed to use hand weapons like a sword, knife or a battleaxe, but not a gun. Anyway, he faced them alone using only his hand-to-hand skills and killed them. That means he's considered a 'Blooded Warrior" in the eyes of the Lowardians."

"And from what the legal team has been able to figure out, they can't attempt another invasion until they can find a Warrior that can beat Ron. And Warhok was supposed to be the best they had. That's what justified Warmonga's return, you beat Warmonga and she brought Warhok because he was a better Warrior then her. And since Warhok was the best the Lowardians had and Ron defeated him, they can't come back."

"Kimmie, Ron really did save the world this time. Not just that, we're protected for the foreseeable future from a threat there's no way we could have responded to. He saved not just the world, but our future."

Kim was still furious though, "Does Ron know about this?"

"No, his parents are trying to keep it quiet as long as they can. But it'll only last a few more days."

James became pensive "Kimmie, something else I've thought about. I know you're hurting. You miss Ron. That young man loves you as much as I do. So much he's willing to die to keep you safe. But you have built this wall between yourselves. And the only way to stop the hurt is you have to forgive each other your sins. He did what he had to do and you didn't know what to do. For what it's worth I hope you can patch things up."

They were interrupted by her Kimmunicator. Without thinking, Kim reached down and hit the receive button. "What's the sitch, Wade?"

"Kim, I've been keeping an eye on Ron and Sagara. They landed about five minutes ago. They're getting ready to hit Senior's place now. That's not the strange part. The strange part is that the servers for every surveillance camera in Senior's place just lost all encryption. Most of the servers are still fairly tight, but the video and audio systems are wide open. I don't think it's glitch, I think Senior wants everyone to see what happens in there.

Kim was starting to worry. "Wade, can you have me a ride standing by just in case."

"Already done. You'll be in the air 10 minutes from when you give the word. I have your super suit ready, too. It'll be waiting."

"You rock, Wade."

"They're scaling the side of the place now. Do you wanna watch as they go in?"

"Yea. Send it here, please and thank you."

James interrupted "Wade, don't send the signal to the Kimmunicator."

"Daddy?"

"Send it to the Hi-Def in our living room. I wanna watch, too. But I'd rather watch on a 54-inch screen, not a 4-inch. I'll go turn on the TV. Kimmie, go get your mom and the twins, I'm sure they'll want to see this too."

"Daddy, you're a genius!"

"I think we already knew that, Kimmie-cub. Now hurry, the show starts soon."

**********

Kim was totally blown away by what she saw. The whole family was blown away by what they saw. The Tweebs were hyped well beyond their normal energetic selves and James and Anne were proud of Ron's performance, and partly confused as well. 'Where did all that skill come from.'

For Kim it wasn't just the performance from Ron. As Wadehad mentioned, the audio was active along with the video. And hearing Sagara defer to Ron was startling. She had been browsing through the files on both the Veteran and his girlfriend, and knew he was more experienced than Ron, but his calm and logical acceptance of taking a back seat to Ron was an eye-opener that said a lot about his thought processes.

He wasn't a glory hound and from both the files and his demeanor, it was obvious that he wasn't a coward either. He truly acted as he felt was in the best interests of the mission. Somehow Kim got the idea that if the roles were reversed and they were on his turf, he wouldn't hesitate to take charge. She wasn't sure she could have done the same thing. It was something else to think about.

The video died just after the clapping and 'Bravo's' started. Kim was instantly on the Kimmunicator. "Wade, we just lost the signal, what happened?"

"I don't know. The servers just dropped off line. I'm trying to reroute around them." Wade worked at his station for a few minutes. "Kim, it looks like all the servers on Seniors place dropped. Give me a few minutes to try and get it back."

"Hurry Wade, please."

Wade called about 20 minutes later saying both Ron and Sagara were alright and staying on Seniors island for it least the night. The rest of the night Kim studied the files on Sagara, trying to find out as much as she could about the enigmatic Sergeant and his girl friend.

**********

The following morning, Kim knew Wadewas right. She needed another perspective. A criminal perspective. She needed to talk to Drakken and Shego. After arranging a ridethrough Wade, Kim had called ahead so Drakken could deactivate the security systems. She landed the hoverjet in the hangar and was greeted by a smirking Shego. "Well, well, well, Princess. To what do we owe the honor? Since you called ahead, I gather you and Stoppable aren't gonna bring the lair down aroundour ears." she said while waving expansively aroundthe hangar. Looking around Kim and not seeing the familiar tow-headed mop, she asked, "Where is Ron, anyway?

"Ron's not here. He's……taking care of some things. And since when do you call him Ron?"

Shegogot a very serious look on her face. "Since he saved all of our collective asses, that's when. He's earned it. Calling him by his name is the least I can do." Shego started sporting a grin so evil that Kim instinctively went on her guard. "I'm even making Dr. D. write 'The buffoon's real name is Ronald Stoppable.' on every one of his blackboards until he remembers." Then Shego giggled. "I think he's up to somewhere in the neighborhood of about 3000 times. Come on, lets head to central core, Drakken's there."

Kim followed and glanced at the former villainess with sad eyes and said, "Thank you, Shego. You're right. He has earned it. I just wish the rest of the world could get it right."

"Ya know, he might be better off with fewer people knowing it. Would keep the crank calls to a minimum, know what I mean?

"Maybe."

They walked in silence until they got to the central core where Drakken was standing in front of a blackboard, chalk in hand. He was powdered by the dust from having to write and erase the same thing over and over and over, ad nauseam.

Shego plopped into her chair and picked up what looked suspiciously like a Long Island Iced Tea. "So what are ya here for, Punkin."

"Information."

When Kim hesitated, Shego waved her hand in a 'come on' gesture and sarcastically asked "On?"

Three names had stood out in the files of the Sergeant. Two of them had an extremely violent history and the third seemed to be the one holding their leashes. She decided to find out about the obviously dangerous ones first. "Have you ever heard the names Gauron or Gates?"

Shego's reaction wasn't what Kim was expecting. Shegogasped, jumped from the chair while tossing the drink to the side, grabbed Kim by the front of her jacket and with a frightened expression asked, **"Where did you hear those names?" **Even Drakken had a terrified look in his eyes. "Where Possible? They're supposed to be dead."

"From the files of a new GJ agent. From your reactions I gather these guys are bad news."

Shego let her go and backed away. "Bad news doesn't begin to cover it, Princess. I don't know which of the two was worse. As violent as your villains were and are, that's nothing compared to those two"

"Gates was an absolute lunatic. He'd been known to be walking down the street in some second or third world country, singing an aria and just shoot someone. For any reason or none at all. He didn't like the way you walked, BLAM! He thought you smelled good, BLAM!"

"And Gauron was a complete sociopath. He was aggressive, violent, antisocial and had a complete lack of anything resembling remorse or empathy. He liked to kill; it was a game to him."

"The only time he he'd been known to show any restraint, was when he was planning something. He had been used as a mercenary or an enforcer by various groups that really didn't give a damn how he got results, as long as he got 'em. I heard he was almost able to take over a ballistic nuke sub once and was stopped by some Special Forces type. But that was a rumor."

"It's not a rumor Shego, it happened."

"What? You mean to tell me that Gauron almost had his hands on nukes. Please tell me he really is dead."

"Yea, he is. The new agent transferred from the submarine. He was part of the Special Response Team on board. The files say he was the one to kill Gauron."

"Oh, thank God."

"Was he really that bad?"

Drakken broke in, "Kimberly, I am evil and whack. But he made me look like your Pastor. I heard he once shot a man between the eyes just for saying something insulting. And knowing Gauron, it probably wasn't even that insulting."

"So you're sure they're dead?" Shego looked at Kim with undisguised glee. "Both of them?"

"Gauron for sure, and they think Gates was operating one of those Arm Slave machines when Sagara blew it up."

"Sagara? That's the guy who killed both of them? You gotta introduce me?"

"What?! Why?"

"So I can seduce him."

"**SHEGO!!!**"

"Come on, Dr. D. Ya gotta admit he deserves a reward."

He growled in a tone Kim had never heard from the normally submissive Drakken"Then I'll give him a new weapon or upgrade a machine for him. Not. That!"

Shego's tone surprised Kim more then Drakken's. The only way Kim could think to describe it was a soft bantering. "I was just joking Doc, relax"

Drakken had a sad look on his face. "There are some things you don't joke about Shego. Please."

The expression and tone of the mint hued villainess softened even more, "Sure thing, Doc."

Kim had seen the recordings from Drakken's U.N. appearance and had suspected that there was more to the pair than met the eye. But seeing it in person left her with her jaw hanging. She didn't even want to think about what she was seeing, it was too gorchy. Trying to get back to the reason for her visit, she asked. "What about the name Leonard Testarossa, that ring a bell?"

Shego's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Why are you asking about those names, Possible? These guys are over your head, even with your G.J. clearances. They aren't your normal run of bad guys." Shego waved her thumb between herself and Drakken. "As bad as we've been in the past and as close as we came with the Diablos to winning, we still had plans in place to handle those guys and their organizations."

"I'm not saying they're out of your league, just that your better off leaving them to people that are willing to deal with them, HARD. These aren't guys you beat down and send them to prison. You shoot them, preferably with a sniper rifle from 2 klicks. That way you have a better chance of living."

Kim looked between Drakkena and Shego and said, "Because it looks like I have to deal with Sagara and his girlfriend. Seems that G.J. had them transferred to Middleton to be someone's bodyguard while they go to college and he's been the one to handle a lot of messes caused by these guys. Both are Japanese and G.J. asked me and Ron to be their guides until they get their feet under them."

"Makes sense. But that's not the only reason you're here is it?" Shego had sensed that Kim was hiding something.

"No, it's not." Kim paused, then said, "I don't know any way to say this other then to just say it. Shego, could you kill someone?"

**********

As I'm sure you can guess gentle reader, the 'Democracy Incident' has a basis in reality. My daughter and I, other then name changes, had that same conversation verbatim.


	10. Revelations

Shout outs to both Cajun Bear 73 and Sentinel 103 for proofing this for me

Chapter 10 Revelations

The shifting of the Sun onto his face started to bring Ron into the land of the living. His head was pounding, but through bleary eyes he was able to look around the room. He was on a huge bed, still in his mission clothes, minus his boots, watch and cell-phone. Looking over the side he spotted his boots placed neatly beside the bed in front of the nightstand. Taking stock, he looked around a bit more and noticed his watch and cell-phone on the nightstand and a note with his name on it under the cell.

Picking up the note he saw a blocky scrawl that he was able to decipher after a moment.

_Stoppable-san_

_Please do not be alarmed. You were rendered unconscious after your battle in the front room of the mansion due to unknown factors. I believe it was exhaustion brought on by your battle with the defenses and have informed the Senor of this. With the aid of Senor Senior, we placed you here to recover._

_I have contacted Load-sensei and briefed him on our situation. He said he would contact your family and update them as needed._

_The Senor gave me the room next to yours and a pager. Please contact me as soon as you are conscious by either knocking on the adjoining door or calling 1038. I will be checking on your condition periodically._

_Sagara Sousuke_

'Exhaustion, huh?' Ron had to admit, Sagara thought fast on his feet. After seeing his collapse back at G.J. headquarters, the Soldier had to suspect the real reason Ron had dropped. But Sagara had covered for Ron's vision's very neatly and even found a way to tell Ron what he had done, giving him the chance to go along with the subterfuge.

Seeing the phone and not feeling like moving just yet, he dialed the pager number and laid back against the head of the bed and waited. A few minutes later the door opened to a concerned Sagara.

Seeing Ron's wincing face he asked, "Stoppable-san, are you in need of assistance?"

"I could really use a couple a aspirin. Ugggg. Maybe a whole bottle. Sagara, remind me not do that again anytime soon. Even a hangover didn't hurt this bad." Looking up at the raccoon Soldier, Ron smirked "How's the nose?"

Sousuke was a bit dour, "Still quite sore, Stoppable-san. How's the jaw?"

"Hurts like Hell. Until it's compared to the splitting headache I have. Then it's fine."

"You should be more careful in battle, Stoppable-san." Sousuke looked pointedly around the room and gave Ron a significant look, "The amount of energy you expended yesterday was considerable. Had the battle continued much longer, you might not have had the reserves to continue fighting."

"Dude, you don't have to bother worrying any bugs or cameras. Triple-S would consider it dishonorable to bug the room." Ron glanced around. "Still, we'll talk later, just to be safe. Right now I could use a little help getting into the bathroom." Ron made it to the bathroom under his own steam, with Sousuke providing a steadying arm.

Ron noted a compete shaving kit on the counter, including a new toothbrush and several brands of toothpaste along with towels, soaps and hair care products. Senior might have been a villain, but he was definitely a hospitable host. Ron did his business, then splashed water on his face and neck. Hearing a knock, he opened the door and saw Sousuke standing there with a change of mission clothes from his pack.

"I took the liberty of finding a set of clothes from your gear. The Senor informed me that lunch will be ready in approximately 30 minutes. Will you need further assistance?"

Looking back at the counter, "Naw, I think I'll be OK? We're eating in the main dining room, right?" Seeing Sousuke's surprised look, he added, "I've been there a bunch of times, Dude." Looking and pointing up. "Mostly through HVAC system though."

"Very well, I will see you shortly, Stoppable-san. If you have not arrived in 40 minutes, I will return to check on you."

"Thanks. Ya know, Sagara, we might have got off on a little bit of the wrong foot, but you're all right."

Having no idea how to respond to the comment, Sousuke merely said, "Thank you, Stoppable-san."

**********

Forty-five minutes later, Ron and Sousuke entered the dining room to see Senior already there. One end of the table had three chairs and was covered in various hearty Mediterranean dishes. He stood as the younger men entered and said, "Mr. Stoppable, I trust you're doing better then you were yesterday evening?"

"Yeah, nothing a nights sleep couldn't fix. But right now though, I'm starving."

Senior waved to the chairs flanking his own, "Please gentlemen, sit down, as you can see, luncheon is served." With a wry grin Senior added, "And there's more than enough even for the famous Ronald Stoppable appetite."

Ron paused in taking a seat because he was a bit surprised that Senior knew his first name. "Thanks, Senior. Like I told Sagara, you might be a villain, but you got class."

"Even rivals and foes should acknowledge the niceties, Mr. Stoppable. Now I believe the American term is, 'Dig in.'."

And dig in they did. Sousuke had always been a hearty eater when the opportunity arose. Not to the point of gluttony, but he was a young man who led a very active life style. He expended a significant amount of calories everyday and needed to replace them to stay fit.

But he had nothing on Ron. Ron ate like a man possessed, eating at least a little bit of everything and going back for seconds and even thirds. Sousuke just shook his head in amazement. "Stoppable-san, do you always consume this much food?"

Ron paused in his shoveling and took a moment finish chewing the mouthful. While he chewed, he decided a little misdirection towards Senior might not be a bad idea. No matter how good of a host he was, he was a still a villain after all. Swallowing, "You were right about how much energy I had to use last night. I gotta carb up to get it back."

Nodding, Sousuke returned to his own plate. The conversation at the table was mostly between Ron and Senior, with Sousuke only answering direct questions. Once Ron had eaten his fill, he looked at his host and said, "While this is been a really great spread, Senior, we need to get back home. So let's get down to business. You said you had info about someone trying to hurt my family."

Senior lost all traces of the urbane, amicable multi-billionaire. "Yes, I do. A bit of background. I have many agents throughout Europe and most of the world. Most of these people keep an ear out and an eye open for information that might be of interest to me. Three days ago, I received word that someone was planning to launch an attack at you through your family. The agent only overheard a portion of the relevant conversation. But what they passed to me was frightening enough. And the reason I felt you should be informed is the origins of the threat. It stems from a remnant of the National Socialists."

Sousuke's eye's narrowed, but Ron said, "Who?"

Senior answered with a rueful grin, "The Nazis, Mr. Stoppable."

"……"

"Yes, they're still around, despite the vigorous efforts of the Mossad and other parties that oppose their policies. Very, very few of the original Nazis are still alive. And for the most part, they're well into their eighties. But there is a new crop every generation. Young men and women who delude themselves with the idea of Ubermensch."

"From what the agent gathered, the leader will soon come into a vast fortune. One to either rival or surpass my own. And the plan is to launch a covert takeover of the German government after removing the threat of 'The Buffoon'. That was a quote, by the way. Then installing a new government with very strong pro-Nazi leanings. And the first step will be either killing or crippling your family."

Ron was so stunned, all he could do was blink as Senior continued his terrifying dialog. "I immediately passed the word to every single one of my agents. They were drop all other assignments and focus on verifying the original report, particularly my German agents."

"Shortly before placing a message with young Master Load, enough bits of information had come in to at least warrant giving you a warning. Hence, my calling you here. I was pleased to see you brought your weapon, the Lotus Blade." Senior showing a surprising knowledge of the Lotus Blade, had Ron instantly on alert.

Senior saw the change and smiled. "Relax, Mr. Stoppable. Unlike that ruffian, Montgomery Fiske, I understand the Blade would be of no use to me, because it would not accept me. No matter how interesting I might find it. I am merely curious about it. It seems to have fascinating properties."

Seeing Ron's dumbfounded look, "Do you realize just how much money I have? You can be sure that if I want information on something, I can afford it. And it pays to have as much information on your foes as you can. I've had several teams researching both you and Ms. Possible."

Looking at Sousuke, "And you, my boy, were an enigma until this morning. Sousuke Sagara, Staff Sergeant, transferred to Global Justice from Mithral, an Arm Slave pilot of some note. Sole survivor of several battles between Mithral and various global terrorist organizations. Trained to a fare-thee-well in multiple combat arts. Semi-protégé of Lord Edwin Mallory."

"I remember where I heard your name, young man. Edwin mentioned it in an anecdote about a young Soldier who gave an Admiral what-for. Good show, Borda has always been a pompous, arrogant ass who is in a serious need of having his ego deflated on occasion."

"As I was saying, Mr. Stoppable, your Blade is a fascinating work of art. May I ask how many shape/forms have you mastered with it?"

Sheepishly, Ron replied, "I really haven't mastered any. I just go on instinct with it. When I try to get it to shift forms, it's like… flipping pages in a book. I have to hunt to find the one I want."

Senior went very stern, "Mr. Stoppable, you have been given an awesome responsibility. For everyone's sake, you should train yourself to Master your weapon. And make no mistake, it is a Weapon. As it is now, you are merely its owner, not its Master. With the power inherent within both yourself and the Blade, it would behoove us all, if you acquired full control over both it and yourself. I noticed last night, you started the battle with a Bo. But as you sank deeper into your… Battle Trance, you shifted to a Katana. At the beginning of the battle, you instinctively went for a weapon that is not nearly as likely to kill, didn't you?"

Surprised, Ron quietly answered "Yea! How did you know?"

"I may not be a belted Master of the Martial Arts, my boy. But how do you think I remain in as good a shape as I'm in? I have trained extensively throughout my life to stay in peak condition. In doing so, I have gained a greater then laymen's knowledge of how a Warriors mind works."

Senior's expression became gentle and understanding, "And you are a gentle soul, Mr. Stoppable. Violence is not something that comes naturally to you. It has to be forced out of you. The problem is with someone like you, once you 'turn it on', it can be very difficult to 'turn it off' as it were. That is why it's imperative, that you train yourself and gain full Mastery of your abilities. I trust you will begin to do so in the near future" Senior had glanced quickly at Sousuke when he said that.

Ron scratched his head, "I guess I don't have a choice. I was always afraid of hurting somebody with it. That's why I tried to avoid it. There's this Martial Arts Master I know, maybe I should go see him for a while."

"Excellent, now back to business." Senior pulled a flash drive from the pocket of his jacket and passed it to Ron. "Here is all of the information I have been able to gather so far. Names, locations, anything pertinent. The flash drive also contains the codes to access information on a VERY secure server. As I acquire any new information, I will upload it there."

Ron was grim as he pocketed the flash drive, here he was getting terrifying information from someone he had fought against several times. He had to know. "Why are you telling me all this, Senior? You've tried more than a few evil schemes of your own."

The elderly billionaire was replaced with an old Warrior. "Because my boy, I am a very old man and many, many years ago, as a very young man, younger than you in fact, I fought in the Spanish Civil War." Senior was getting angry at the memory. "I fought for the government against the rebels and their backers, the National Socialists when they used my country as a testing ground for their new type of warfare, Der Blitzkrieg, The Lightning War. Even then Hitler and the Nazis were planning their offensives into the Sudetenland, Austria, Poland and the rest of Europe. I found many of their ideals to be personally repugnant. So much so that after the French fell, I joined with the British in their battle against the Fascists."

"I was assigned to and served with Montgomery and acted as a courier/liaison between him and Patton. Patton needed… special handling. As one of the aristocracy, I had been trained from boyhood on how to comport myself. George Patton was a very urbane and civilized man, who carried himself as one of the nobility and was nevertheless quite vain."

Senior grinned a bit. "He was also one of the most profane men I have ever met. There was this scene in the George C. Scott movie that followed his World War II career. In the scene, there is this group of reporters with a few clergy intermixed. One of the chaplains says 'General, I noticed a Bible on your nightstand. Do you actually read it?' The reply was typical Patton, 'Yes I do, every Goddamned night.' The scene had a very strong basis in reality. We got along well together. I learned great deal from that man, may he rest in peace."

Very grim now, "And I was there when the troops of Patton's Third Army liberated some of the camps." The old Warrior's eyes misted and his voice cracked and became rough. "I saw…… things, horrific things. Things that no one who calls themselves human should see. The absolute lowest of man's inequity to man. I have never been a religious zealot, but I truly believe that the Third Reich was trying to bring about Hell on Earth."

"And no matter what I might have tried to do in the past few years, I will **neeveeer** allow that…… plague to return." he growled. "I am too old to lead the fight against the foe we face. But you're not."

"Your background makes you uniquely suited for this fight Mr. Stoppable. You're young, have been performing 'Hero' work for the last few years. As you demonstrated last night, quite capable of taking care of yourself in a Combat situation….and you're Jewish."

"There is also one last thing I hesitate to mention. You have also proved yourself capable of 'going the distance' as it were. You can kill. I know what happened that day has caused you no end of grief. But the point remains, that to win this fight, you will most likely be forced to do so again. The foes you will face are ruthless, unscrupulous and willing to do whatever it takes to win."

"A word of advice. I would suggest you enlist both Drew and Edward Lipsky."

"Drakken and Motor Ed?! Why?"

"Although they have been your foes for the last few years, you and they share a heritage. Going back to Abraham."

Ron's eyes narrowed a bit, "They're Jewish?"

Senior smirked, "With a name like Lipski, what do you think? Their grandfather was a Polish Jew, who had been trapped in the Warsaw Ghetto in '39. The fact he survived there to the end of the war is little short of a miracle and a testament to both his toughness and ability to survive. I think once the Lipski's aware of the situation, you would be hard pressed to find stauncher allies. And while neither of them are exactly cricket, there is no denying Drew's intelligence, nor Edward's mechanical skills. Both could be of great assistance. "

"Mr. Stoppable, one last thing." Senior sounded very stern. "If you need assistance of **any** kind in dealing with this threat, do not hesitate to ask. Funds, equipment, information, logistics of any kind, even if you need me to come personally and stand guard. ANYTHING. All you need do is ask." Senior passed over a bank card with Ron's name on it. "Use this. It has a limit of one hundred million American dollars."

Hearing the figure, Ron fumbled and flipped the card into the air. Sousuke's hand blurred and snatched the card out of the air and passed it back to the stunned Ron. Then Senior stunned Ron some more.

"If you need more contact me. I have informed all my agents to pass any messages from you to me immediately. Merely identify yourself as Ronald Stoppable."

"Senior, I, I, I don't now what to say."

Senior placed his hand on the younger Warrior's shoulder. "Don't say anything Ronald. Stop them. Whatever it takes, stop them."

They turned to go to the landing pad when something popped into Senior's mind. Sousuke's courtesy throughout the entire visit. "Mr. Sagara, may I have a moment of your time?"

Sousuke nodded to Ron then turned and faced the billionaire. Ron left them and headed to the waiting hoverjet. Once Ron was out of earshot, he asked, "Sir?"

"By your definition, I am considered a terrorist. Yet you still address me with courtesy, why?"

"Two reasons, Sir. Number one, Stoppable-san assures me that you are both honorable and chivalrous. Therefore I will give you the benefit of the doubt in the hope that maybe I am wrong and you have just been misguided."

"I see. And the second."

"Because courtesy is the hallmark of civilization. And while I have been a Soldier all my life and been in many uncivilized places, I choose to be civilized. Even the tribesman of my adopted homeland, as primitive as they seem, still acted with courtesy.

Senior breathed out through his nose and said, "I must say, young man, you have given me great deal to think about."

"If I may, Sir, may I make a suggestion?"

"Please."

"I have heard there is a saying in English. 'There are two sides to every coin.' If you're bored and looking for a hobby, why not go in the other direction. You've made a good start with Stoppable-san. Use this opportunity to go the other way, I think you will find it a great deal more satisfying. I know I do. Good day, Sir" Sousuke turned and followed Ron to the hover jet.

Senior pondered, 'Become a Hero? Now there is a strange concept.'

**********

Once they were in the air and on course, Ron started to rant a bit. "I can't believe Senior wants me to get Drakken and Motor Ed to help. That's almost crazy. He has to know those two are whack! I just can't see bringing them into this. Doesn't he know how many times me and Kim had to bust up their plans."

"Stoppable-san, I have studied 'The War in the Pacific' or if you prefer, the 'Second World War'. And although both General Patton and Lord Montgomery were at loggerheads, both were honorable men fighting together against a common enemy. I suggest you try to find common ground between you and this Drekken and… Motor Ed?"

"It's Drakken, Dr. Drakken. I don't know where he got the Doctor part. Maybe he sent in a lot of box tops, who knows." Ron started rubbing his sore jaw. "Course, now that I think about it, if we get Drakken, we get Shego. Now that could be a real plus."

"How so?"

"Dude, Shego's a real firecracker, a former villain who's almost as tough as Kim and she can shoot plasma from her hands." Ron paused for a second. "She's also hot."

"How do you know the state of the air conditioning at her home?"

Ron started laughing, "Hahahaha, That's a good one, Sagara!"

Sousuke said, "A good one what, Stoppable-san?"

Ron realized that Sousuke was serious and stared, closed his eyes, shook his head and stared some more. Then he blinked. "Dude, you're joking, right?"

"Why should I jest, Stoppable-san?"

"Oh, come on, even I'm not that clueless!"

"What do you mean, Stoppable-san? Kaname-san has called me clueless almost from our first meeting."

Ron started looking around at the bulkheads and muttering to himself, "I don't believe this. There's actually someone in the world more clueless than I am?" Looking back at the confused Sousuke, "Uh, look, it's one of those metahoracal things." muttering again "I can't believe I'm having this conversation!" Ron continued his explanation. "Hot means attractive, understand?"

"Ah, a metaphor, I understand your meaning now. I'm still learning idiom and figurative language."

Ron just looked dumbfounded, "Dude, you got a lot to learn." It was going to be a long flight.

**********

Shego couldn't believe what she had just heard. She mentally replayed it to see if she was wrong. _'OK, I said, "Makes sense. But that's not the only reason you're here is it?" Then she said, "No, it's not. I don't know any way to say this other than to just say it. Shego, could you kill someone?" So I did hear her right.'_

Shego looked stunned for a moment until her normal sarcastic nature took over, "Is this a hypothetical question or are you seriously asking me to whack somebody? What, your goody two shoes nature won't let you do it? Cause I can tell ya right now, I don't work cheap."

A muttered "No, she doesn't." came from Drakken's corner when a GLARE sent him back to his blackboards.

With a long suffering sigh, "Hypothetically, Shego."

The villainess looked at the Heroine, hard. There was no humor, no evasiveness, no deceit, Kim was asking her a very serious question and was desperate for answers. Never taking her eyes off the younger girl, "I could use a workout, and so could you! Dr. D, we're going to the gym. You stay out, capice!."

"Certainly Shego. In the meantime, I'll start lunch. Tomato soup and BLT's, with the extra thick bacon?"

There was no trace of smirk, sass, mischief or disrespect in her answer. Just a soft, gentle smile. "That'll be great, Doc. Come on, Princess. Time to get your butt kicked." Shego strode off before Kim could retort.

Kim followed the mint hued woman through the lair to the gym. Shego walked to a locker and pulled out a couple sets of martial arts openhanded gloves. "This is just a spar, no reason to get all bruised up, eh?"

"Sure thing."

Once they had the gloves in place, Shego moved to a corner of the mat and Kim took a position opposite her. Shego dropped into a ready stance and said, "So, could I kill someone, huh?" Then she threw a three/quarter speed punch.

Kim parried it away and said, "It's something Sagara's girlfriend asked me. And I didn't have an answer."

They traded light punches and kicks, parries and blocks while they talked. Interspersing their talk with offensive and defensive strikes. "I talked to my Dad last night and he threw me for a loop." Left/right combo, shuffle right, block. "When I told him what Kaname said, he told me, that in Ron's place, he would have killed them too."

"YOUR Dad? Whoa." parry, slide back/left, right jab, left backfist. "He didn't even get that mad after Dr. D. snatched the Hephaestus technology from his brain."

"Yeah, I know, and Ron…" front snap kick, stamp aimed at leading foot, right jab "I have soooooo screwed us up."

Shego winced "That goody two shoes crack was a little too close to home, huh?" They continued to trade light attacks, just enough to make the other react.

"Yeah, Shego, it was."

"I would say 'Sorry', but I doubt if anybody would believe it."

"Whatever. Anyway, I don't know what to think. Your record's clean as far as killing someone is concerned. But even as far as you and Drakken have gone, I don't think either of you **would** kill."

Shego stepped back and held up a hand to stop. Both fighters had worked up a light sheen of sweat and were breathing harder than normal. Shego walked to a mini fridge and pulled out a couple bottles of water and held them up, one in either hand. Kim indicated the left, so Shego tossed it to Kim. Grabbing some rolled up hand towels, she tossed one of those as well.

The few moments of silence were giving Shego time to think about what Kim had said. After wiping the sweat from her face, Shego looked at her erstwhile opponent and said, "Last year, I'd have agreed with you. Six months ago, hell even three months ago. Now, if someone tried to really hurt Drew… I don't know, but I might, I probably would. I hope I never have to find out."

Kim chugged half of the water in the bottle trusting Shego would not poison her own water supply. "Sagara and Kaname seem to just take it in stride. I don't know how they do it. To tell you the truth, I don't know which of the two makes me more nervous. The girl, Kaname, seems to be just another foreign exchange student, getting ready for college. And, I mean, no offense, but you and Drakken just come off as 'evil'…"

Shego interrupted her, "Thanks Princess, I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

"Anyway, until I read the reports on them, I'd have walked past her without a second glance. She has never killed anyone, but I watched this video of her and Sagara when they arrived at G.J. Headquarters. She was so close to shooting Agent Du you could see her finger tensing on the trigger."

Kim finished the water and went on, "And Sagara seems to be a quiet, wallflower type. Until you really watch him. He's a coiled spring, ready to fight, all the time. When they landed in the briefing room at G.J., one instant he's rolling into the room, the next, he has a pistol pulled and scanning for targets. And I literally mean from one instant to the next. According to the files, he has over 75 confirmed kills and nearly 150 more probables."

Shego whistled, then something occurred to her, "What a minute, you said they're going to college. How old is he?"

"About nineteen." Kim went on to explain about his past.

Shego looked a little apprehensive, "He's only nineteen, and he's been through all that? Are you sure he's not around the bend?"

"The files have extensive psyche reports on him, and while he suffers from PTSD related nightmares, they give him clean bill."

Shego stood up and walked back to the mats, "Damn, he's had it rough." Shego waved Kim onward. "Come on, I haven't had a good fight since the invasion. I've been working out, but it's not the same. I'm not getting caught flat-footed again. Next time I have to go up against an eight foot tall alien, I'm gonna kick their ass."

Kim mirrored her sparring partners stance "About that, there shouldn't be another invasion." Kim proceeded to tell Shego about her father's revelation.

"Man, we dodged a bullet on that one." Shego had decided that what she really wanted was a **workout**, and the Princess was the perfect target. With an EVIL grin, "Ya know, I think maybe I oughta seduce Stoppable to thank him for saving our asses."

She got her workout alright. And what the hell, bruises will heal.

**********

Deep in the heart of an underground bunker, the new leader of the Party was poring over a listing of the contents to one of the chambers. So far he hadn't found the things he was looking for. Oh that's not to say he had come up empty handed. Who knew one of Josef's assistants had discovered a serum for an adrenalin substitute. He had already planned a way to use it like the old fashioned morphine syrettes for Combat use.

Nearly all of the technological equipment was useless, having been either vastly improved on in the intervening sixty-five years, or rendered totally obsolete. But the chemical/biological apparatus on the other hand was a different story.

Serums for faster healing or making a Soldier stronger without resorting to the use of one of Henchco's© rings. As that red-headed Bitch had proved before, rings could be taken away. But let's see her take something that was in the bloodstream.

And the Mystical/Arcane search was going well too. The Ark was lost, buried in some American secure warehouse and Excalibur had disappeared into a black hole in England somewhere. But other items could be of use. He was still looking for a way to revive that genetically altered idiot, but it was here, somewhere. He merely had to be patient. And despite past performance, patience was a strong point for a man who had waited over sixty years to bring back the Reich.

Soon, very soon, the first blows will be struck.

A messenger brought him a report from one of his moles. He read over the information, trying to figure how it would affect his plans. "Hmmmm, it seems Ze Buffoon and ze Bitch are getting some help. Ve might have to do zomezing about zhem." Looking back at the messenger, "Contact ze Agent, tell him to gather all ze informazion about zhese two. Ve are too close to allow a pair of idiotion Japs to interfere. Make sure that Du knows how important ziz iz."

"Jawhol."

(Think about Du's attitude. Almost perfect for the Waffen SS or the Hitler Youth)


	11. Of Escorts and Homecomings

Chapter 11 Of Escorts and Homecomings

Major Kudos and shouts to Cajun Bear 73 and Sentinel 103 for their proofreading

Merida Island Command Level Offices

15:00 Local

06:00 Zulu

01:00 Mountain Time

Commander Mardukus knocked on the door of his Commanding Officer. Upon hearing a lovely mezzo-soprano say, "Enter.", he opened the door and approached her desk.

"What can I do for you, Commander?" the platinum haired young woman asked, still looking at the reports in front of her.

"M'am, we've just received a notification from the Indian Ocean Squadron regarding a KIA's Final Requests."

Tessa's eyes snapped to, straight to the Commander's and with a very firm voice said, "They're granted."

Mardukus had a tiny smirk on his face, he was very proud of his Captain just now. "Don't you wish to hear what they are, M'am?"

Tessa's soft gray eye's turned hard. "I don't care, those Requests are a solemn promise to our Troops. 'Any reasonable request concerning transport, internment and Final Honors will be granted, regardless of their nature.' That is Mithral's promise to it's KIA's, and I WILL Honor that promise. I don't care if they're reasonable or not, they're granted."

"M'am, it'll be hard for Mithral to grant this one."

"Very well, Commander, explain."

"Well M'am, 6 hours ago a recovery team was finally able to infiltrate and retrieve the remains of the Indian Ocean SRT Sergeant Sagara had been attached to last year. As you know, he was forced to bury them onsite. Once the recovery team returned to base, Mortuary Affairs opened the sealed 'Final Requests'. No real surprises, except for one." He paused for a moment.

"And what was the 'Request', Commander?"

"They wanted the remainder of the team to be the ones to escort them home." He passed a folder to her. "Here are the particulars."

Ten minutes later, Tessa was on the phone to one of her NCO's. "Sergeant Major Mao, I need you to report my office, immediately. It concerns a 'Final Request'."

"On the way, Captain." Once Melissa had reached Tessa's office and been briefed, she said, "This is going to be problem, M'am. Sousuke took that mission hard. He won't hesitate to accept, but this is going to reopen a very sore wound for him."

"Under the circumstances, all we can do is ask. We'll have to route the request through his new Command at G.J. I'll call Doctor Director immediately."

"M'am, it's the middle of the night there." Mardukus informed her.

"Doesn't matter, this is too important. She'll get over it. You two are dismissed for now." Once the two subordinates started to the door, Tessa opened her personal contacts listing and found the number to contact Elizabeth Director. The Doctor had given it to her after she had voiced concerns about Sergeant Sagara when he was transferred to G.J. under the Doctor's Command. Placing the call to the G.J. Staff Duty Desk, she was able to convince the SDNCO that the call was important enough to route to Elizabeth's personal phone.

After a couple of rings, a groggy annoyed voice said, "It is one o'clock in the morning. This better be important or else."

"Doctor Director, this is Captain Teletha Testarossa, we met a while ago when Sergeant Sagara was briefed on his current mission."

"I remember you, Captain. It's a little late here, Captain, what can I do for you?"

"We have a need for Sergeant Sagara's services for a very important mission that will last 5 to 10 days."

The annoyed voice turned irritated, "I just got the Sergeant, he isn't even settled in yet. And you're asking to get him back? What mission could possibly be so damned important?"

"Doctor, are you aware of Mithral's 'Final Request' policy."

Irritated turned curious, "No."

"Mithral is a basically a mercenary multinational force. We do not represent any one nation. Therefore, Command makes a promise to our Troops. It concerns KIA's. 'Any reasonable request concerning transport, internment and Final Honors will be granted, regardless of their nature.' We have a KIA that requested an escort an home by any survivors of her team. Sergeant Sagara was the only survivor. We're requesting his presence to take her home."

"He's yours. I apologize, I didn't know the situation. Where do you want him to meet up with the deceased, and where's he going?"

"We'll arrange transport here and her destination is Montana, America. Some place called Porter's Corner."

"The deceased is American?"

"Naturalized, she was originally from Eastern Europe. The 'Next Of Kin' live there. She requested to be sent there for internment."

"You're not going to have them land at that Yuma Base are you? That's a really long drive."

"We don't have much choice. That's about the closest Mithral airfield to Montana."

"Well, I've got a better idea. As long as you don't use that damn gargantuan cargo plane, they can land here. We're about 12 hours closer to Montana. We also have a small base in Butte, Montana. I can have a hoverjet transport the deceased and the Sergeant to Butte from here. Would there be any problems with that?"

"That's very generous of you Doctor. The Sergeant is going to have a three man detail with him. Is that going to have any effect on the hoverjet?"

"Shouldn't be. Are you going to be able to render Honors?"

"It'll be hard because we have to maintain secrecy."

Betty thought for a second and asked, "What happened on that mission?"

Tessa explained how it started out as an operation to remove one of the top five terrorist's in the world and morphed into two day running firefight of ambush and counter-ambush to prevent a nuclear weapon from reaching terrorist hands.

Betty was stunned to find out just how close the planet had been to World War III. "Your problem is solved, Captain. You send me the bio's and your KIA holds a reserve G.J. status. She'll get Full Honors as an American Service member, I promise you that"

Tessa was choking up, "Thank You, Doctor Director."

"Under the circumstances, it's Betty. It would be my privilege to render any assistance. Sagara's on a mission right now. We expect him home in about 12 to 14 hours. As soon as he hits dirt here, I'll place the request."

"Could Sergeant Sagara's former Sergeant Major make the call? That mission hit him really hard and she was one of his debriefers afterwards."

"I have no problem with that. I'll post orders in the morning for the hoverjet to be standing by. Just have the Sergeant give us a call when they're inbound and we'll be ready."

"Thank You, Betty."

"My pleasure, M'am. I have a contact that can tell you when Sagara gets in. You remember the name Wade Load from Sagara's briefing? Well, just have the Sergeant Major log into the Kim Possible website and ask for him. Should take him about a minute to answer, if that. He monitors the site 24/7. A word of warning, make the request from a public server. This kid's a computer security officer's worst nightmare. He hacks us, the Pentagon and the NSA for fun. Nothing malicious, he's just curious. So far we haven't been able to keep him out. It's gotten so bad, we hire him to 'attack' our systems and tell us where to improve 'em."

"I'll pass that along to the Sergeant Major, you have a good night Betty."

"Glad to help. Hope things go right for the transport and funeral. G.J. out."

Tessa called Mao back and passed the information the NCO, stressing the 'computer security nightmare' and the 'public server' parts. Mao went to the internet café at the NCO Club, bought a stein of German Lager and logged into the website. She felt really strange logging into the site of a "Teen Hero" and asking for a kid, but orders were orders.

__

To Wade Load.

My name is Melissa Mao. Could you please contact me as soon as possible. It is an urgent matter concerning a friend of Sousuke Sagara.

Melissa Mao

Melissa hit the enter key and leaned back in her chair, grabbing the mug of Lager. She had raised the stein to take a drink when the monitor fuzzed for a second. The light of the built-in webcam came on and a window popped open revealing a African-American boy just entering his teens.

"What can I do for you, Sergeant Major?"

Mao just looked at the screen thinking to herself 'What the Hell?'. Lowering the Lager, she had to ask, "How'd you do that and how do you know who I am?"

"Not to sound braggy, but, I'm Wade Load.", like that explained everything. Wade pounded on his keyboard for a second and said, "Wow, either your on a REALLY secure system or you not hooked into anything."

"Let's just say we were warned of your talents Mr. Load."

Wade's face darkened in a blush, "Sorry, it's a habit."

Mao turned on a bit of her 'Drill Sergeant' personality, "Mr. Load, I've heard you're a rabidly curious young man. If you try with our systems what you have with others, you WILL get a visit. You won't enjoy it. The information on our systems could get _people_ killed. Do I make myself clear, Mr. Load?"

Wade gulped and said "Yes M'am!" This woman was scary.

"Good, now the reason I wanted to talk to you had nothing to do with comprising computer security. We have a problem and we were referred to you. I need to talk to Sergeant Sagara as soon as possible. It's not an emergency, but it is very urgent. Can you put me in touch with him as soon as he lands."

"If it's really that urgent, I can do better then that for you. I can have you online in about a minute."

"Really?"

"It's easy."

"Mr. Load, as long as you don't abuse it, we might have work for you. For right now, do you know where Sergeant Sagara is?"

"Yeah, he's on a private island in the Mediterranean, probably asleep."

"It's six or seven o'clock there, he's up. No, when he gets home will be soon enough. It's going to take three or four days to get things ready here anyway. I don't care what time it is, as soon as he get's home could you call me to let me know?"

"You got it. Can I ask what the problem is, maybe I can help."

Mao thought for a second and decided to trust the young man a bit. "A friend of his needs an 'Escort' home and Sousuke is the only one that can do it."

Wade was puzzled as to why the enigmatic Sergeant was the only one that could help someone get home. "Why's he the only one?"

"It was her 'Final Request'."

Wade wasn't sure what was going on, but 'Final Request' didn't sound good.

**********

The flight home was taking forever in Ron's opinion. After the confusion of the metaphors, Ron had sat back in the seat and started to think. He was worried about the threats Senior had brought to his attention. Who was behind it? Why were they targeting him through his family? How would they strike? Ron's overactive imagination was starting to go into overdrive.

Sousuke had a good idea of what was happening to his new partner. The hyperventilating was a dead giveaway. Sousuke reached behind his back and pulled out a couple of lengths of tube. He screwed them together to make a single one about two feet long. Grabbing the accompanying pouch, he selected a particular feathered tuft and inserted it into one end of the tube. Ron was so lost in his waking nightmares he didn't even know Sousuke was there. Sousuke raised the tube to his lips and, with a forceful puff of air, launched the dart into Ron's chest.

"Owwww, what the Hell? Before I rip you apart, what did you just do?"

"Just a mild sedative. You need to calm down Stoppable-san. I understand you are frantic with worry. If someone threatened Kaname the same way, I would be as well." Sousuke calmly unscrewed the tubes, "But wild worst-case scenario imaginings will not avail you. In order to prepare for the coming danger, you have got to keep yourself under control. In Combat, a Soldier's fears can be his own worst enemy. Do not let your imagination run wild. Learn to think your way through the danger.

Ron was nearly in tears, "But it's my family! Don't you understand that?"

"No Stoppable-san, I don't. My whole family was murdered when I was six."

Ron had forgotten that fact. Hearing it again drained the blood from his face. Sousuke was a walking, talking example things could get worse. "Sorry 'bout that."

"It's not a problem. However, I can compare it to how I would feel if it was Kaname that was threatened. In that, I do understand. It doesn't change the fact that if you lose control of yourself, then there is a very good chance that things will turn out worse than you can imagine."

Ron's voice was miserable, "I don't know, I've got a pretty good imagination."

"Stoppable-san, fears are just that, fears. They are not reality. There is nothing wrong with being afraid for yourself or others, but you can't let the fears control you. Would you believe me if I said I am afraid of heights?"

"Dude, most people I know are afraid of heights, except for Kim."

"No Stoppable-san, I am terrified of heights. Anytime I get more than a meter or so above the floor or ground, I can feel the fear starting to creep up from the base of my spine. Trying to make me freeze, goose bumps raising on my arms. And the thought in the back of my mind is 'Get back down to the ground where I'll be safe.' But I control my fear, I do not let it control me. It's the unknown that frightens you. We are aware of a threat and a portion of its nature. We need a target. With a target most of your fears will dissipate. Their own actions will tell you how to respond."

"Now if you are that worried, then let us call Load-Sensei and have him start an analysis of the information the Senor has given you. We need to know more. And once we know who, when and where, we can start to gather strategic and tactical information. Where do their financial resources originate and how much do they have? Where are they based and what defenses do they have? How many troops do they have, how are they trained and where are they positioned? How are they armed?"

The steel gray eyes of the Soldier reminded Ron of the Arctic when he and Drakken had been stranded there. COLD "Once we have enough strategic and tactical information, we can formulate an appropriate response, hopefully one that involves massively overwhelming firepower." COLDER! "If needed, I can place the Bonta-kuns under your direct command and give you limited authority over the ARX 7." Liquid Nitrogen COLD! "And I can assure you that with both the Bonta-kuns and the Arbalest, you will have a ground firepower superiority against nearly anything except for the Federal Army of a First World Nation."

**********

Kaname had been mildly worried all night and most of the day. To relieve her worry, she had spent that time arranging the kitchen, setting up her bedroom and bathroom and shoving the furniture around in the living room area (with a mental note to leave room for Frankenstein). She placed Sousuke's Fender and amp near the patio door close to where he had it in his old apartment in Japan.

When the landline rang at close to 16:00 local time, she wasn't too worried about who the caller was. It was not a number very many people had. It wasn't even going to be 'visible' to the phone company, let alone going to be published. When she answered it she automatically greeted the caller in Japanese. "_Moshi Moshi_?"

"Uh, hello?" she heard a young sounding voice.

"Sorry, it's been a few years since I had to answer the phone in English. Who's calling?"

"Uh, this is Wade Load, I got your number from Dr. Director. I figured you'd wanna know that Sagara and Ron are on their way home."

"Great, thank you, Load-san. When are they getting back."

"A two hour twenty minute flight time. Ron's making the pilot fly over your place and they'll jump out at 12,000 ft." She could hear as Wade quickly hammered at his keyboards and said, "That's about thirty-six hundred meters."

Kaname grinned to herself. One of her parts of the mission was starting. She had been waiting for a call from the agoraphobic young teen. "It's also 2.7272727273 miles, approximately, Load-san. I lived in the United States for a few years when I was younger." More hammering ensued.

"Huh? I don't see you online. What site did you find that figure on?"

"I can do the math in my head Load-san."

"…Whoa!"

"Why are you surprised Load-san? You can too."

"No, I can't. I'm good, but not that good."

That's where your mistaken, Load-san. You are that good, you just don't know it. You and I need to talk."

"What about?"

Kaname went a bit melancholy "Your Whispers."

"My what?"

"How long have you heard the voices, Load-san?"

Wade was a whole lot less at adept hiding things then Ron "What voices? I don't know what you're talking about."

"It's alright. Load-san. You're not alone. I've personally met two other Whispered and know of half a dozen others. I'm a Whispered, too."

"A what?"

"A Whispered. That's what they call people like us. You get thoughts and ideas, diagrams and schematics in your minds eye. They take over sometimes and leave behind plans that you've drawn and scribbled on every scrap of paper and flat surface around you. The walls, tables, anything that you can mark on. That's why your able to come up with all the gadgets you do."

"Th, th, that's happened to you too?"

"A few times, before a friend and an acquaintance of mine showed me how to…regulate them. They can't be stopped, but you can learn to control them. Your Whispers broke a pattern. They generally don't fully manifest until puberty. So how long have you heard the Whispers, Load-san?"

Gulp, "Since I was about six." Wade knew he was taking a chance. But he was 'here' and she was 'there'. They weren't in the same room, they couldn't even see each other, so he should be safe from 'them'.

"Would you like to talk about it? I know what it's like to hear them and nobody else can. Your parents think you're 'trying to get attention' or classmates think you're _seizetsu, _extremely weird. And **no one **understands. I know someone that has let the Whispers take him to the point his arrogance rivals the Kami's and a girl who has built the most advanced submarine on the planet in an attempt to hide. That's why you're in you're room isn't it?"

"I… I… but."

"Like my friend showed me, I can show you how to regulate them. Would you like to talk, I have little while before I have to finish dinner?

"I, I, I, I think I'd like that."

"Good, my name is Kaname Chidori, please call me Kaname."

"I, I, I, I am Wade, Wade Load."

"_Douzoyoroshiku,_ Load-san. That means 'pleased to meet you."

"D, Doiuzoyiroshaku."

She winced as Wade butchered it. "We'll work on your pronunciation."

**********

Kaname had spent the time talking with Wade productively, by getting the welcome home meal for the returning Ron and Sousuke ready at the same time. She merely activated the speaker phone and went back to cooking. The stew from last night had an even longer time to simmer and Kaname had added broth as needed to keep it fresh. She already had the dough ready, so the rolls only took half a hour to bake. She laid out three place settings; with chopsticks as well as Western utensils.

A little over two hours passed while the two talked, when Wade told her, "Kaname? Ron and Sagara are jumping soon. If you wanna go to the roof you should see them."

"Thank you, Load-san" One thing she had thought about with Wade was becoming too familiar, too fast. He was still a boy just entering puberty. Letting herself become 'familiar' without the buffers of the Japanese language could be a problem, even dangerous. The English language lacked the structure and rank/hierarchy pro-nouns and suffixes of Japanese. It would be very easy to lead the boy to the wrong conclusions if their new 'relationship' wasn't handled carefully.

She suspected there was no stopping him from developing a crush. Kaname was under no illusions about her appearance or the fact he was a boy on the cusp of becoming a young man. With what the two of them were going to have to do in the next few weeks, the crush was a foregone conclusion. She had even considered having a talk about that very thing with him to explain a few things, like the love she felt for her **very** hair trigger boyfriend.

Not that Sousuke would really hurt the boy, but he had once filled the wall behind a few punk gang members full of bullet holes with a Steyr SPP and called it 'resolving the situation peacefully'

It wasn't going to be fun, but she thought it would be better to arrange a demonstration for the teen. From ages 19 to 25, six or seven years isn't nearly the gap as it is between 13 and 19. Particularly without the traditional Japanese Senpai/Kohai protections. Maybe she should start by teaching the boy about Japanese cultural protections.

She opened the door that led from the main room to the garage roof, and stepped out into the lowering sunshine. She heard Wade over the speakerphone tell her "They're coming from the East." Kaname looked up into the Eastern sky for any sign of them and couldn't see either the plane or her Beau and his friend. Finally she spotted a contrail moving Westward nearly overhead and two specks separated from it..

Sousuke was evidently thinking of her because one of the specks started trailing smoke as they dropped. The two quickly separated as the one trailing smoke dropped faster then it's companion. She vividly remembered the only time she had gone out of a plane (**unwillingly)** after being attached to the Clueless Catastrophe.

She watched as the figure trailing smoke tracked back and forth across the sky as he fell and fell and **fell **and **_fell _**and "**Oh God, he's falling!!!!"** Finally at what seemed the very last possible instant the drogue emerged and jerked the figure to a near midair halt deploying the parafoil. He guided the chute towards the roof of the building, where unbeknownst to him, awaited a 'Doom in Blue Hair'. Kaname was not pleased.

In a bit of improvisational genius, Sousuke was using Kaname's hair as an impromptu windsock to tell him the wind speed and direction. He made a mental note to have a real windsock installed soon. He performed a hook-turn and approached the roof from the South. He flared and landed with a little turf-surf collapsing the ram-air canopy behind him.

Ron had maintained a stable box position rather then the much higher speed Delta track Sousuke had used. They went out of the plane and linked up long enough for them to make sure the other was alright and on track. Then Sousuke spun away, popped smoke, and entered Delta, plummeting towards the ground at nearly double Ron's speed of over 110 mph. Not knowing what was going on Ron did something he normally wouldn't do. Stayed in freefall. And he didn't like it. He watched as the lunatic traced S-curves on his way to the point where he popped his chute and landed on the roof of the building.

Kaname watched as Sousuke gathered his chute and cleared the way for Ron's landing. She was trembling with anger and terror. She had made a promise to herself that she wouldn't hit the Soldier unless he did something truly bad.

"_Sousuke, before I pummel you, you have thirty seconds to explain yourself."_

The two of them had agreed to use English as much as possible while they were in America, so the Japanese threw him for a second.

"_Explain what, Kaname-san?"_

Sousuke looked confused until he looked down at the wadded-up chute. Answering in English, "I was in a hurry to get home to see you, Kaname."

She stood there with her jaw working for a moment and said "Well in that case, Sousuke. _Okaeri nasai_." (Welcome Home!) And wrapped him in a hug that would put an Anaconda to shame.

"_Tadaima_." (I'm Home.)

WHACK! "Don't scare me like that again, you understand me?"

Sousuke almost committed a grave error in his answer. He almost said 'I hear you.' Kaname never liked that answer. In her mind 'hearing' and 'understanding' were not synonymous. "Yes, Kaname."

"Good, dinner's ready, so hurry and get cleaned up. I made those rolls you like so much." The minor tick of his expression told he was looking forward to dinner.

Once the Soldier popped his chute, Ron followed suit and drifted to the roof on a much more restrained track. Even as clueless as he could be, Ron figured out what was up when they embraced. 'He missed her, guess I can understand that.'

Ron landed with his usual gracefulness, meaning the only reason he didn't go over the side was his falling pants had caused him to trip and stumble into the railing before going over. Once he was back on his feet with Sousuke's help, he looked at the Soldier in askance. "Dude, I thought you said you're afraid of heights?"

"I am, Stoppable-san."

Pointing to the sky, he asked, "Then what was that H.A.L. performance we just saw?" (High Altitude Low Opening)

"As I said, I'm afraid of heights, my first instinct is to get to the ground as quickly as possible. Also, I control my fear, I do not let it control me. And lastly, Kaname was waiting. Please, let's get cleaned up, Kaname has dinner ready. She made plain rolls." Sousuke said the last with blank face that had a gleeful glitter in the eyes.

Ron chuckled and shook his head. "You're a piece of work, man, you know that? Let's go."

The two young men headed to the showers. Sousuke used the one adjacent to his room and Ron used the one downstairs. Sousuke only took his normal five minutes to shower and shave, while Ron was almost thirty minutes finishing up. Sousuke and Kaname were upstairs in the living room/dining room portion of the apartment quietly talking about the setup of the apartment and Ron was still downstairs when his cell rang. Ron answered it, finding Wade on the line.

"What's up, Wade?"

"Hey Ron, Kim called me to let me know she'll be back from her mission in about half an hour."

"And this concerns me, why?"

"ALRIGHT, THAT'S IT!" Ron pulled the phone away from his head before Wade's volume exploded it. "Ron you get your goofball ass to a computer, I wanna look you in the face!"

"Wade?"

"Shut Up! Ask Sagara and Kaname if you can link through that A.I., Eleanor. Wait a second, never mind, I'll call them." Wade put Ron on hold for a minute, when he came back on the line, Ron could hear the menace in the tech geniuses voice. "Ron, you will get to Eleanor's webcam and monitor before the echo dies, or I swear to God, your life will be a living Hell. ATM's won't work, traffic lights will stay red, automatic doors won't open, elevators will lock in basements, escalators will run backwards, prices will ring up wrong for you. I'm tired of this crap and we're gonna hash it out.

**********

After listening as the irate preteen asked for permission to link through Eleanor and giving him an affirmative, Kaname said, "Think I'll add another place setting." She suspected there would be a fourth for dinner.

**********

Kim arrived back in Middleton with a split lip and bruised knuckles that hurt like hell, but she felt pretty spanking! The nerve of that…WOMAN! GRRRRRR! How dare she even threaten to do that. Wasn't Drakken (Uggggg) enough for her. About halfway through the bout, Kim realized that Shego was playing her to get a better fight. As much as Kim hated to admit it, Shego was right when she said that Kim could use a workout too.

The fight was just what the doctor ordered. She was more relaxed than she had been since before the split. Her mind was clearer too. Things were starting to come into focus. Her Father's words last night had really hit home. It wasn't that Ron had wanted to do what he did Graduation Day. And after hearing about some of the bad guys Sagara and Kaname had faced from someone she knew, she was willing to at least entertain the idea that sometimes you're better off not even trying to capture someone.

There were dangers in the world she had never known about. Dangers that had been forced into her face for the first time. And the learning experience wasn't pleasant by any means. She had been made to draw out and examine a part of herself that most people never knew was there. And the conclusions were startling. She still wasn't sure 'How far?', but she was no longer afraid to ask the question.

She owed her Dad for breaking the equation down on to a manageable size. The whole sitch after Graduation was a major stumbling block for her because it was too big. Ron's actions, the Lowardians, her fears and doubts, why he reacted so badly on the Dementor mission a couple of months ago. She had been trying to think about everything as a whole and it wouldn't balance. And that had thrown off her sense of 'Control'. Once the control she had over herself went, the rest of her life had come down like a house of cards.

It was time to start to get it back, starting with how she had treated Ron. She could only hope he would forgive her, because if nothing else, she really wanted her best-friend back.

When she was about thirty minutes out, she called Wade and had given the pilot the coordinates to the Middleton High field. She intended to land at the field and walk home from there. While she was banged and bruised, she wasn't crippled. She felt the plane adjust course and assumed it was the pilot making a correction. She was putting on her chute when the pilot called her forward to say the autopilot had them on a different course. It wasn't much but it would throw off her landing at the MHS field. Right then her Kimmunicator beeped at her. Between the course change and the fact she had just talked to the recluse genius she started to get worried. Hitting the accept she said, "Go ahead, Wade."

"Change of plans, you're going to Sagara's. Ron's there, you need to talk."

"Uh, I'm not so sure about that right now." She knew she needed to talk to Ron, but she wasn't sure what to say and felt she wasn't quite ready.

Wade's eyes blazed for a second and he pounded on his keyboards. Suddenly the craft entered a hard climb. As it climbed it rolled to the left, once they hit vertical, they hammer headed, started to fall and rolled to the right exiting the maneuver in the same heading they were on before. "Get the point. You're going to Sagara's, deal with it. I've called your mom. I'll have some clothes sent over. Wade out."

The pilot looked at her with more then a hint of fear and said, "Ms Possible, I don't know what this is about, but I suggest you do what the boy said. This plane ain't supposed to do that."

"Yeah, I think you're right."

**********

Kim was met on the roof by a puzzled and abashed Ron, who asked. "Did we to tweak Wade?"

"I know I did, not sure about you."

"He said something about how my attitude sucks."

"What'd you say to him."

Ron started rubbing the back of his neck and looking around, "Yea, uh, hmmmm."

"Come on, Ron. We've known one another long enough not to beat around the bush like this."

"Well, he called me to say you were on your way back and I uh, I kinda blew it off. I think I was a little smarmy about it."

She was hurt by the answer, but not surprised. "I don't think I need to tell you what I did."

"Nope."

"Wade said we need to talk."

"Told me the same thing."

"OK, let's start at something obvious, but easy. How'd you get so good so fast Ron? I would've had a hard time fighting Sagara like you did yesterday. Probably would've won, but I'dve had a fight."

"Kim, how long have we been going on missions?"

"Five-six years."

"You think in that time I didn't improve? Course I got better, I just kept it hidden."

"But why, Ron? That's one of the things I've had such a hard time with. I mean, one day, you're my loveable, goofball partner and BFBF. The next, you're taking on bad guys that stopped the world cold. You don't have any idea how hard that was to accept. Why?"

Ron sat heavily on the roof in the rays of the setting sun. "Because. I was afraid of scaring you off. Looks like I was right."

"You dope, the reason I lost it so bad was it came out of nowhere! GOD RON! Haven't you ever heard of a self-fulfilling prophecy. You thought I would freak, so instead of improving over time like anybody else, you hid it and it blindsided me!"

Beep Beep da Beep, Beep Beep da Beep

**********

Ten minutes ago, Wade felt like hitting his head against his keyboards, "I don't believe I forgot!" In all the excitement of finding out he wasn't the only one that heard the voices, talking to what he knew was a very beautiful woman and his tweak with Kim and Ron, he had completely forgotten about the hit on the site last night. He placed a call to Sergeant Major Mao, waking her up in the process.

A bleary voice answered, "_Moshi Moshi_?"

Wade had figured out that meant 'Hello' in Japanese. "Sergeant Major, you said to call you as soon as Sergeant Sagara got home."

Shaking her head to clear the fog of sleep, she said, "Mr. Load? Could you patch me through to him?"

Wanting to make up for forgetting, he said, "If you have a computer and webcam, I can do better then that. I can have you face to face." Kim and Ron would have to wait, something told him this was more important.

"Give me five minutes to get ready."

"Just go to the website when your ready Sergeant Major."

"Alright, see you in a few, out."

**********

Kim looked at the offending device "Grrrrr, Go Wade."

"Kim, I forgot to do something. Could you take the Kimmunicator to Sagara?"

"Why?"

"Please, it's important, it's about a friend of his."

Kim could see the pleading in Wade's eyes. She looked at Ron, who nodded. "Alright, hold on."

Ron followed as she walked into the living room area. Her mouth started watering instantly as she was hit by the wonderful aromas of baking bread and something delicious, "I don't know what you guys are having for dinner, but it smells great."

"I set a fourth place, you're welcome to join us."

"Think I'll take you up on that. Sagara, Wade wants to talk to you." She removed the Kimmunicator and handed it to the Sergeant.

Looking into the miniature monitor, he said, "This is Sagara, go ahead."

"Can you pan the Kimmunicator around the room for me, Sergeant?" When Sousuke complied he said, "Set the Kimmunicator on the table pointing at the blank wall."

Sousuke looked confused for a second and Kim took the device from him, saying "Here, like this." When she set it on the table a beam emerged and coalesced into a 60 inch virtual monitor.

"Go ahead Sergeant Major." Melissa's face appeared on the wall.

"How's it going, Sousuke?"

"Mao! I'm pleased to hear from you, though surprised."

Melissa's expression turned somber. Sigh, "I hate for it to be under these circumstances though. This is an official call, Sergeant Sagara. Mithral is asking you to Escort someone home. This is being asked as part of a Final Request."

Sousuke was the only one in the room that caught the capitalizations. He snapped to attention and said, "It would be an Honor, Sergeant Major. Who am I Escorting?"

Melissa looked at him with sad eyes. She KNEW how hard he had taken that mission. To Sousuke, the fact he prevented terrorist from getting their hands on a nuclear weapon, didn't make up for the loss of the other five members of the Indian Ocean SRT. One in particular. This was going to be hard for him.

"Lieutenant Grace Wiseman."

Everyone could tell that Sousuke wasn't expecting that. Even Kim and Ron could see that Sousuke looked like he had just taken a gut shot. With a stricken face and tremulous voice, he whispered, "Gray." In his nightmares, he could still hear the screams over the radio as Gauron butchered the team while he was in a fight for his life against someone that had been like a brother to him.

**********

He hadn't seen the sun for days. The bunker complex was enormous, at nearly 200 meters on a side and six levels deep, and other then the main opening, only very well camouflaged vents going to the surface.

Once they had replaced the fuel oil in the generators they were able to disconnect from the national power grid, effectively adding another layer of security. There would be no unexplained power drains to point the way to the bunker. And since the exhaust was vented into the fast flowing, turbulent River Rhine, even the heat bloom would not be noticeable.

The German engineers of seventy years ago had never even dreamed of thermal imaging when they were trying to camouflage both the noise and smell of the generators from prying Allied spies and scouts. Little did they know their efforts would still be effective into the next century.

He was currently going over a listing of another chamber when something caught his eye. "Zhose fools! Had ve used zhis in '43 und '44, ve could have stopped ze Americans in zeir tracks! Ze Red Ball Express would have ground to a halt!"

"No matter, ve can use it now und it will bring the American military to it's knees. With ze death of nearly thirty percent of zeir troops, zhey vill be crippled because zhey will be overloaded trying to take care of zhe dying. Ve just need to develop a delivery system."

The ranting Dementor made a brief return "VE SHALL SUCCEED VHERE ROMMEL FAILED. VONCE ZHE NATIVES ARE DEAD, ZHE VAST RESOURCES OF ZHE AFRICAN CONTINENT VILL BE OURS FOR ZHE TAKING."

"It vas a very clever idea of Josef's, using melanin to target zhe Untermensch of zhe Vorld. Melanin-X vill be our capstone on zhe road to triumph."


	12. HOT

Special Shouts to my Betas CajunBear73 and Sentinel103 for both the beta work and being one of my few regular reviewers along with Screaming Phoenix. Thanks y'all.

Chapter 12

Ron and Kim were watching as someone they had only known for less then 48 hours teetered on the edge of breaking down. Seeing the normally stoic, expressionless young man that had threatened to taze Ron without blinking despite his MMP, had fought hand to hand with enough skill to make Kim sit up and take notice, had been on more lethal combat missions then Team Possible could conceive of, who was willing to either lead or be lead as the situation warranted, now displayed a heart wrenching grief that was more than enlightening. It showed Kim that he wasn't just a heartless casual killer and Ron now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Soldier knew, he KNEW, what Ron was going through.

Kaname could see that Sousuke was barely holding it together. She had stayed at his apartment for a few days after he returned from the mission to the mountains of his adopted homeland. He only got four or five hours sleep a night, and that in fits and starts. He would wake up screaming, shouting orders and reports to no one. "**Zaid!!! Ammunition down to 60 percent. Hang on, Grey. I'm on the way! GAUUUUROOOONNN!!"**

Just the little bit he had told her about was almost enough to give her nightmares, too. Seeing Lieutenant Wiseman's A.S. that Gauron had crucified against a boulder and being forced to leave the Indian Ocean SRT behind in unmarked graves was something that still haunted Sousuke nearly two years later.

Mao dropped the Sergeant Major routine and became Melissa, Sousuke's friend. "Sousuke, no one would blame you if you want to turn this one down."

"NO! When and where do I report, Sergeant Major?

"Are you sure, Sousuke?"

"I failed them before! I will NOT fail again! I owe her this!"

"Sousuke, we've talked about this. I've read your report and seen the records of all A.I.s you recovered. You did everything humanly possible to make the mission a success and bring them home. You can have the best battle plan in history and it may not matter. Remember the 'First Law of Battle'. 'Every battle plan gets fucked up when the Enemy arrives, that's why he's called the Enemy.' It wasn't your fault, Sousuke."

"But I could have…"

Melissa interrupted him, "Done nothing else, except learn from what happened. Most of the mistakes on that mission were made by those arrogant idiots on the Indian Ocean SRT. We sent them an expert on both the terrain and the target; and they refused to listen to him because he was only 17. That's-not-your-fault! Do you copy, Sergeant?"

"I copy, Sergeant Major." Everyone could see that while he said it, he didn't really mean it. "When and where do I need to report, Sergeant Major."

Sigh, "She's being transported here from Malacca through Sydney. You'll meet up with her and your detail here in about four days."

"Detail?"

"You know the reg's Sousuke. KIA's will be escorted by no less then a four man detail."

Kaname could see that Sousuke wasn't happy about that and asked what would prove to be fateful question. "Can I help?"

Everyone just _looked_ at her. Sousuke was too stunned to speak and Kim and Ron didn't know what to say, so they just watched things develop. Mao recovered quickly and said, "What do you mean, Kaname?"

"Can I be one of the escorts." Glancing from the screen to Sousuke and back, she continued, "I really think Sousuke should be around friends instead of strangers for this. And if I'm there, he'll at least have one!"

Ron spoke up then, "Make that two! I want in." The Soldier had proved he could help him and Ron wanted to return the favor.

"Three!" Kim wasn't about to let Ron go without trying to make things right.

Mao didn't let it show, but she was finding Sousuke's discomfiture to be highly amusing. With a huge smile, she said, "I'll have to clear it with Command. But both Sousuke and I have an in with them, so I don't see any problems there."

Kaname answered for the overwhelmed Soldier, "Thanks, Melissa. And don't worry, I'll take care of this _baka."_(idiot)

"I know you will, Kaname. I'll let you know in about eighteen to twenty-four hours, that'll still give you about seventy-two hours to get ready and get here. Any questions?"

Sousuke was still floored by the offers of help he had just received and could only stammer out, "N-n-n-no Sergeant Major."

**********

From there things moved fast on Melissa's end. After talking Sousuke and Co., following orders and even though it very early in the morning she called Tessa, who called and woke Lord Mallory, who contacted Doctor Director. And between the three of them they hatched a workable plan. And just like any plan, there were a few……sticky parts. And the problem would be Team Possible.

For Kim, she would **have** to be under the command of the Veteran, and Betty wasn't sure just how that would work. Kim had always been the Alpha of a very small pack on missions. A pack consisting of three people and a mole rat. Missions came in and Team Possible reacted, without much oversight and guidance, from anyone. Kim had never operated in a formal command structure, and that was what worried Betty. As strange as it was to admit it, Ron was a better prospect for G.J. than Kim for that very reason. Although he could act independently if he had to, he was used to being under someone else's orders. Kim wasn't. (**A.N. Think about and you'll know I'm right.**)

As for Ron, it was a different situation. The plan called for the team to pose as U.S. Soldiers. Sousuke would have his G.J. rank of Staff Sergeant (E-6) Both Kim and Ron were to be E-4's, but since Kim had the most experience and Leadership skills, she was given a lateral promotion to Corporal (E-4) and Ron would be a Specialist (E-4), leaving Kaname as a PFC (E-3). Betty even decided to let the three civilians keep the ranks on reserve status after the Escort mission was completed

The problem for the guys was they would have to look the parts. That included haircuts to (Army Regulations) AR-670-1 regulations, meaning 'High and Tights'. For the girls all they would have to do was put their hair up into a bun in back of the berets and the Da Dannan Command Staff didn't doubt for an instant that Sousuke would go along with the reg's. Whether or not Ron would be willing to comply was something they would have to find out. Betty decided she would call the two of them in and talk Kim about it and impress upon her the importance of following the Sergeant's orders, particularly in public. And find out if Ron was willing to comply with AR-670-1. The following morning, Wade contacted Kim and let her know that G.J. wanted to talk to her and Ron about the Duty they had volunteered for.

But that was in the future. For now Sousuke, Kaname and Team Possible (tentatively reconstituted) had to deal with other issues.

**********

Kim and Ron watched as Kaname gently took Sagara by the arm and lead him to the dinner table. Along the way they could tell she was whispering to him, just not what she was saying. The only part they heard was a fierce, "You're not alone, Sousuke. Do you hear me?"

When she saw the virtual screen fade out and the miniature screen on the device pop up Kim picked up the Kimmunicator to see a text message from Wade.

__

Kim, Sorry about interrupting your talk with Ron, but something told me that Sagara's call was important. I guess I was right.

Ron said he got a flash drive from Senior with information on it that he wanted me to look over. Could you get it from him?

Not wanting to intrude on the couple, Kim tapped Ron on the shoulder and showed him the text. Ron fumbled in his pocket and pulled out the flash drive and handed it to her. She plugged it in and hit the call button. The light on the drive pulsed for a moment and a new text popped up.

__

Thanks, I'll look this over and get back to you. Tell Ron to turn off his phone and after you hang up restart the Kimmunicator. I'm catching traces of an intermittent tap on the lines. The restart will cause the frequency and encryption codes to reset to new ones.

Also tell Ron I'm sending him a Kimmunicator. The encryption and security on his cell isn't going to cut it with this tap. I'm trying to find the source, but they're really good. Will let you know when I find something out.

Kim showed Ron the new message and tapped a quick text to Wade

__

Stand by Wade, let me and Ron get outside.

Kim led Ron to the patio leaving the door open and restarted the Kimmunicator. Once it rebooted, she hit the call button again. Wade's image popped up and Kim said "Alright Wade, what do you have on the tap sitch?"

"Not sure Kim. It's random and it never lasts more then a few seconds. It's barely long enough to get your GPS position, if that. It doesn't make any sense. It's like they tap and listen for a second, then kill the tap. They just seem to be monitoring the phone status and position at random intervals."

The word 'monitoring' set off alarms in Kim's mind. Where had she heard about monitoring cells before, recently? Where?! "Of course! Wade, could the tap be coming from inside G.J., say the A.I. of Sagara's machine? He left orders for it to monitor both of their phones for security reasons. Maybe it's tapping ours as well."

"Maybe, like I said, it's very random and hard to pin down. I'll do what I can to lock it down. Anything else?"

A masculine voice from out of nowhere caused all three to jump, "Al is monitoring your communications on a random basis under my orders."

Ron could hear the growl from Kim and he deflected her by asking in a calm voice, "Why?"

"For your own protection."

Before Kim could get her mouth open he calmly asked "From who?"

"Please come inside, Kaname has dinner ready. We can talk about it there." He addressed the Kimmunicator, "Load-sensei, would you please stay online as this concerns you as well?"

Wade was a bit confused, but answered, "Yeah, sure."

Sousuke motioned them to the open door of the patio and Kim said "After you." He had just fallen back into the untrustworthy file as far as she was concerned. When Sousuke started towards the door she heard Ron saying, "Dude's like a ghost. I never heard anything. Kim, look at this roof, it's tar and pea gravel. It should be almost impossible to move up here without making some kind of noise."

"I know, he did the same thing to me yesterday. Scared me out of my wits. Come on, let's go get some answers." she growled.

Sousuke was standing behind a seat at the table waiting for the rest of them to enter and Kaname was bringing in a tureen of stew. There was a platter of breads already on the table and the places were set with a large bowl and both Western and Japanese utensils. Kaname set the tureen in the center and asked what the Americans wanted to drink. She disappeared into the kitchen and retrieved the requested sodas and a pot of tea for her and Sousuke.

Kim placed the Kimmunicator on the edge of the table and the virtual monitor appeared again, showing Wade and his ever present super-sized Slurpster. Once they were seated and had food in front of them Kim, in an irritated voice asked, "Alright, why do you have that A.I. tapping our communications?"

After the past 24 hours, Ron was willing to cut the Japanese pair some slack, Sousuke in particular. "Calm down, Kim. Something tells me he's got a good reason. Sagara?" Kim was a bit tweaked at Ron's interference with her interrogation, but the glare bounced off Ron like a pistol round off a tank.

"Load-sensei, I understand you spoke with Kaname at length today."

"Yeah, we did."

"And she explained what was involved with the Whispers?"

"Yeah."

He looked back at the pair, "And that is the reason I had Al monitor your communications."

Both Kim and Ron went, "Huh?" Kim almost called a jinx, but broke off at the last second. Over the last year the jinx prize had changed from sodas to kisses. And she was pretty damn sure she wasn't going to get payment for a while, if ever.

Sousuke, backed by Kaname and to a certain extent Wade, went on to give a basic explanation of the Whispers and what they involved. The threat to them by terrorist's and other groups like the KGB and NKVD. How those groups and people like Gauron and Leonard Testarossa kidnapped them and pulled the information out of the minds of Whispered like squeezing juice from an orange leaving behind a trembling wreck of a shattered psyche. He told them of Sarah Miller, an American Whispered girl he had rescued just before being assigned to Tokyo to guard Kaname. How she seemed intent on chewing off her own hand after her treatment at the hands of the KGB just to stop the waking nightmare she was in.

Kim was disbelieving, "This is a joke right? I mean it has to be. How could people possibly get away with something like that. And that still doesn't answer why you're tapping our channels"

Ron figured it out and started to get angry and upset. "You're here to protect Wade aren't you? What was all that crap about being here to help me?"

"As I informed Possible-san, my mission here is multi-part. Part of it is to assist you through your time of recovery following your actions on your Graduation Day, another is to try and help Possible-san with her views on lethal force. The third and most important is to protect Load-sensei, especially in view of the fact that Team Possible has fallen apart in the last few months, removing a large portion of his security."

Both of them just gaped at the Soldier. He was demonstrating just how strong he was, not physically, but mentally and emotionally. Not ten minutes before he seemed to be having a breakdown, and yet now he was calmly briefing them on threats to their friend, Wade Load, Super Genius. His words on the plane came back to Ron like a hammer to the forehead.

__

Learn to think your way through the danger.

There is nothing wrong with being afraid for yourself or others, but you can't let the fears control you.

I control my fear, I do not let it control me.

These were not just platitudes to calm him down, Sousuke really meant them. And like a light going on in a dark room, Ron could see that he just wasn't talking about fears, but all the emotions. It wasn't that he didn't feel the emotions, he just refused to let them influence his actions when he had a job to do.

"With the security breakdown, he is at a much greater risk of being captured. Also the two of you would be primary targets in any attempt to capture him. The possibility that one of you would be captured to force the other out into the open where all of you could either be captured or killed is a distinct possibility."

Sousuke's words hit the team like a sledgehammer. He continued to lay out the possible threats against them. "Consider this, one of you is captured and threatened with bodily harm unless the other surrenders. An early warning of the capture could make all the difference in a rescue attempt. This is why I had Al monitor your communications, just as I have him monitor both mine and Kaname's. Do you recall the list of contacts I gave him if a discrepancy was detected."

Kim answered him, "I remember you giving him a list, but not who was on it."

"Four of the first five people on that list are sitting in this room. That should give you a measure of consolation as to my intentions. I have placed both my safety and that of Kaname in your hands as well as taking responsibility for some of yours."

"Who was the fifth?"

"Commander Director."

"And the rest of the list?"

"With the exception of one person, it consists of people I have trusted with my life. And the last is the Commander of the team that would most likely be called for a rescue attempt or assault strike. I take Kaname's safety very seriously. These are the people I have trusted to keep her safe. I even had Eleanor built with her safety in mind. And I have placed the two of you near the top of her line of defense. Does this not earn me a measure of trust?"

Kim and Ron looked at each other and even with the recent troubles between them, they still shared an almost telepathic contact built over nearly 15 years of playing together, working beside each other, fighting side by side and each other and trusting each other with their lives; for a long second, they communicated.

__

Ron/ I trust 'em/

Kim/ I don't know/

Ron/ I do, I get a weird vibe from him, but not a bad vibe/

Kim/ Are you sure/

Ron/ Yeah, there's no bad road here/

Kim/ OK/

"All right dude, but no more hiding the taps."

"Understood, Stoppable-san. You have no objections to continuing them?"

Ron and Kim looked at each other again, "No, you're right, Wade's safety is too important."

"Very well." He looked at Wade's image, "Load-sensei?" The time had come.

"Ye, Ye, Yes." Wade was still shocked by his friends willingness to give up some of their privacy for his safety.

"I have a space in the basement of this building that is 30 feet by 75 feet with armor reinforced walls and ceiling, a full sized freight elevator, three 880 volt electrical connections and a T-3 line waiting for someone to put it to use. There is also a garage that has room for at least 6 full sized vehicles, a full lift and six ton overhead crane. Considering your agoraphobia and the need to keep you safe, would you be willing to put all that space and equipment to use? You would be able to continue any experiments and tech development you wish. And from what I understand, one end of the room is adjacent to the parking lot out side if you feel the need to expand your labs."

Except for Kaname, they were all floored by the offer. "Are you offering me a place there? But what about my parents?"

"Consider this, if you're not in your parents home, that would help keep them and your neighbors out of the line fire if an enemy attempts to capture you. If you accept you would be able to install any security measure you deem necessary, above and beyond the ones already in place here." Sousuke gave him a file address on a G.J. server. "Please look that over and delete the files from G.J. once you have them on your systems."

Wade started hammering away on the keyboard, looking for the buildings specs. "WOW! You don't play with security do you, Sergeant? Kim, Ron, I doubt if Rufus could get in there undetected."

"What?!" Kim exclaimed. Ron was dumbfounded.

"Cameras, at least three on every corner and two in the center of the outside walls, and two cameras in each corner in all the public areas inside, all monitored by an offline computer. **I **couldn't hack into them. HVAC ducts too small for any human and with electrified grating to prevent animals from getting past. Sentry guns at strategic positions both inside and out with shock and stun capability."

"All the walls threaded with alarm wiring to prevent someone from bypassing the doors and windows. Once the doors and windows are closed, they use contact switches instead bypassable magnetics. All the windows and doors have armor shielding; either built-in for the doors or automatically dropping into place for the windows. All the alarms are monitored by a separate offline computer that has a battery backup good for 48 hours. According to the prints, there are even plans in place to have the lab set up to handle NBC atmospheres."

"Guys, you could get in, but you couldn't get in undetected."

Sousuke added, "The security measures are aimed at detection. Stopping an enemy is my job. Once Load-sensei is in his laboratory and activated the lock-down, it would take a well equipped, determined enemy anywhere from 60-90 minutes to break in and capture him alive. In that time reinforcements will have arrived."

Kim added "What if they just want him dead?"

"10 minutes to place enough explosives to level this building, however it would take a lot more than that to breach his defenses. I estimate it would almost take a mini-nuke to collapse the laboratory."

"If these specs are correct, he's right."

"In addition, I am extending the offer to the two of you as well. We are closer to the campus we will all be attending than either of your homes. There is space in the garage for all of our vehicles with room to expand." Kaname could see the smirk no-one else could. "The kitchen would be open to you at all times, Stoppable-san. You would not have to share a bathroom with three other males Possible-san. And the two of you would also be available to defend Load-sensei, if necessary."

Sousuke might have been clueless, but he wasn't stupid. Part of getting these two to patch up their team was getting them talking, and living under the same roof would be a good place to start. Kaname had informed him that Kim **really **wanted to fix the situation between her and Ron. He didn't ask how she knew this, but he trusted her judgment.

Kim was about to say 'I don't know.' when Ron jumped in.

"I'm in. What's my rent going to be?" As much as he had enjoyed staying with his Uncle Roger, the thought of the kitchen and Dojo, coupled with the garage, was too much to pass up. Besides, Rog would understand.

"You supply your talents in the kitchen, police up after yourself, assist with cleaning the common areas and meet with me once a day for a training regimen designed by Toshimaru-sama."

"That's it?!"

"No objections would be made if you wished to purchase your own food, but essentially, yes."

"BOOYAH! The Ronster's got an apartment! Tomorrow night I'm making dinner." Ron looked at Kaname, "After tasting this stew you can help!" Then he looked at Sousuke and aimed a thumb at Kim, "Your job is to keep her out of the kitchen!"

Hearing a growl from the side he looked over and said, "One word, Kim, Cuisinart!"

The redhead went chalky so fast Kaname asked, "Are you OK?"

"Yeah, I'll… stay out here."

Sousuke asked "So will you accept our offer."

How she kept the 'Well DUH, Ron'll be here' look off of her face will forever remain a mystery to her. But pride forced her to play it off. "It would be a lot closer to the school, I'll have my own parking space inside a garage for the winter time and I won't have the Tweebs trying to drive me nuts."

Sousuke looked confused "Tweebs?"

"My brothers, twins, dweebs, Tweebs!"

"I see, a derogatory metaphor."

"Close enough. What's my rent going to be?"

"Stay **out** of the kitchen, police up after yourself, assist with cleaning the common areas and meet with me once a day for training."

"And that training consists of…?"

You will assist me with improving my hand to hand skills and I will teach the both of you firearms safety, marksmanship, and basic A.S. Operations.

"Why firearms and A.S. ops?" Even with all she had learned and thought about in the last 48 hours, Kim still wasn't comfortable with the idea of lethal force. She was beginning to accept the necessity of it, but that didn't mean she liked it.

"Having a skill does not mean you have to use it, Possible-san. It merely gives you more options in battle. If you are forced to use a weapon, though, it's best if you have the skill to go with it. And to be honest not only do we have to be ready to protect Load-sensei, there is also the threat against Stoppable-san by the Nazi's…"

"NAZI'S. THREATENING RON?!?!"

"Yes, Nazi's, threatening Stoppable-san's family. That was the reason the Senor wished to see him. These are people that will attack with everything at their disposal. We have to be prepared to do the same."

Sousuke and Ron went on to tell the girls about the mission to Senior's Island. And the information they had received from him. Upon hearing this, Wade went into overdrive trying to glean the smallest scrap of information from the data off of the flash drive.

They continued to discuss things over the rest of their dinner. Kim had told them that she had a quick mission to Drakken's place, ostensibly to check on the former villains and make sure they weren't hatching a take-over-the-world scheme, but not the entire reason.

Just after dessert, Kim dropped her bombshell. She was taking a page from Ron and hoped to lessen the tension with a small joke. It was also time for a little revenge. Little did she know how large this explosion was going to be. "By the way, Sagara. Shego said she wanted to meet you."

"Why would a former terrorist wish to meet me? They usually wish to avoid meeting me."

"Well, she said she wanted to sleep with you."

Pandemonium ensued from Kaname. She was choking and sputtering while she scowled at the other girl.

Clueless, Sousuke asked, "But why would she wish to repose with me. I normally sleep on the floor."

Ron groans, "Oh man, not again." Kaname just drops her head into her hands while Kim just stares blankly, jaw hanging. Wade was sitting on the monitor blinking. Even the thirteen year old caught it. Ron now steps in and tries to answer, "Uhhhh, I, hmmmm." Looking at the other three, he says, "A little help here?!" The girls aren't touching it. Kim, still staring at Sousuke, vigorously shakes her head and Kaname is still hiding her face in her hands, but you could see she was blushing to the hairline. Wade? Oh! Well, there's no help there. "Oh come on! I can't believe this is happening again. Alright. Look dude, it's another metaphor. Think about it!!!!"

Looking around Sousuke tried putting two and two together. It took a minute, but from Kaname's blush, Kim's shocked, open mouth look, Wade's blank stare and Ron's reticence, he started to get the clue. You could see the blush rise from his neck to his ears and hair. Looking back at Kim, he gulped and said, "Please thank her, but although she may be 'HOT' as Stoppable-san says, I shall have to decline her generous offer."

Ron thought Sousuke was either really brave or really stupid! Probably a little of both.

Wade rapidly said "It'sgettingclosetomybedtime. Talktoyouguystomorrow, byyyeee." with that the virtual monitor blinked out.

Hearing that Ron had called Shego hot, Kim was NOT amused.

Hearing 'generous offer', neither was Kaname.

The green-eyed monster had struck the two girls. Kim stared at Ron with flashing eyes and a grim expression. Ron, however, was in a good position to disregard Kim's opinion at the moment. He just LOOKED at her and said "What?" and after a second he added, "Oh, I get it. You're mad." Looking at the couple he asked, "Could you guys excuse us for just a moment?"

Seeing the incipient explosion, Kaname cooled quickly, grabbed Sousuke's arm and bolted to the garage. "Come on, Sousuke. We need tooooo…., fill Eleanor's gas tank."

"But Kaname, I thought you just….."

"Let's go, Sousuke!" In a surprising display of strength, Kaname dragged him the rest of the way to the stairs.

Seeing the pair disappear behind the door, Ron turned back to Kim. "Now that the innocent bystanders are out of the way. WHAT, is your problem?"

"Ron, how could you possibly call SHEGO, hot?! Do you have any idea how gorchy that sounds?" Kim was starting to yell. And here she had just got back from a mission where the mint hued villainess had threatened to try and seduce him. GRRRRRRRRRR!!!

Ron looked back with a 'Say What?' expression. "Why are you mad?!?!"

"I'm not mad, Ron! This is Shego we're talking about!"

"SO?"

"Grrrrrrr, Shego, Ron, the villainess?"

Ron was truly confused now. "Again, SO? The fact she's wicked bad doesn't change the fact she's wicked bad."

"GRRRRR."

"What is your problem! I seem to remember a couple a years ago someone complaining that their oh so dreamy boyfriend was all dreamy minded! So I don't know why you're getting your tweak on! It's the same thing!"

"I am not getting a tweak on! And it's not the same thing! Mankey was lost in ArtWorld and Shego's tried to take over the world, it's two completely different things!"

"No, it's not! As much as I don't like the guy, I'll admit the girls think he's to die for, no matter how spacey he might be! And the fact Shego's 'Evil' doesn't change the fact that she's HOT!"

"ROOONNNN!"

Waving a finger in Kim's general direction, "Ya know? I think I'm gonna nip this in the bud right now. What business is it of yours, who I call 'Hot'? Last time I checked, I was a single man." He then put his hand to his face in a very sarcastic thinking pose. "Come to think about it, I'm pretty sure I still am! I used to have girlfriend, but she dumped me when things got a little rough!!"

Kim was in tears now, the dumping comment hit her hard, but Ron wasn't letting up. "**I really could a used her help!!! But She Left Me Hanging!!! NOW MY EX IS GETTING MAD CAUSE I CALLED ANOTHER GIRL HOT?!?!**"

"**I'm not mad Ron, I'm jealous!**"

Ron was stopped in mid-tirade, "Huh? OK, now I'm really confused. What do you have to be jealous of? We're not together anymore. **And mind you, it wasn't my idea.**"

"DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT?! I SCREWED UP, OK!!!"

"I mean first you go all floaty blue and throw those two a couple a thousand feet into the sky, Ron, I can't throw a baseball that far across the ground, let alone a couple of aliens that weighed more then 300 pounds apiece. But you threw them straight up into, not on, but into, as in through, the hull of their spaceship, killing them. Then you nearly flip out and go all Conan the Barbarian on Dementor and his crew of goons."

This rant by the red-headed girl has been a long time building.

"It took a while but I think I finally understand why! And you know who was the one that explained it? Kaname. You wanna take a guess as to how she explained it. Two words, Ron. That's it, just two words. 'How far?' And she scared me, Ron. I was frightened out of my wits by a girl our age asking me a simple question. 'How far?'."

Kim was truly on a roll by now and getting more upset by the second.

"How far would you be willing to go to protect your family, your friends, the people you love. Would I die for them? As many missions as we've been on you can guess the answer to that one. As many times as we've been blasted, blown up, beaten up, sent into TV Trash Heap, had stun staves, lasers and doom rays pointed at us, of course I was willing to die to protect you and Mom and Dad and the Tweebs and the rest of the world."

"But taking a life, Ron. It never really clicked, until last night when my Dad, the only man beside you that I've never really seen get angry, James Timothy Possible, Rocket Scientist, my Daddy, said that if he had to, if if if if he'd been in your place, he'd have done the same thiiiiinnnnng." she was wailing now.

No matter how mad or upset he might have been, there was no way Ron could stand to see anyone in this much hurt. And during his talk with Wade (OK, listening as Wade reamed him a new one), the boy had pulled some surveillance videos from the mall. Specifically the inside of Club Banana during Kim's near explosion on Monkey-boy, including the camera from inside the security storeroom. So he knew she was hurting about what happened.

He pulled her into his chest and started to stroke her hair, shushing her. She could feel the whip cords of muscle he had put on in the last year, most of it in the last couple of months. She started muttering into his mission shirt in one long breathless rant, "I'm so sorry, Ron. But I didn't know what was happening or what to do and it all just happened so fast and you were changing and I couldn't do anything about it and I didn't know how to take it and and and…"

"Shoooshshshsh, calm down!"

"But, Ron, I have messed us up sooooooo bad, and I really want my bestest friend again and I don't know how to make it up to him and I really really want to and and ..

"Kim, calm down."

This was a Ron she wasn't use to seeing, a calm Ron, a strong Ron who seemed to know what to do. Not the guy who was afraid of everything from simians to flickable bugs, with more insecurities than any five other people put together. And as much as the changing Ron frightened her and challenged her world view, she felt safe for the first time in months because she knew without a shadow of a doubt, this man would do anything and everything to protect her from anything _and_ everything.

The arms she felt holding her was something she had almost given up on. The only place she felt this safe was in her fathers arms when she was a little girl. In a lot of ways it was better than being in her Daddy's arms. Ron had really seemed to be acting like a grown man in the last few months.

Like an obstinate puzzle that suddenly snaps into place, _**CLICK!!!!**_

She gasped. With huge eyes and open mouth, she drew back and just stared up at him. Ron had been acting like a grown-up?! It had happened without her even noticing it. And suddenly her words from a year and a half ago flashed in her mind, like one of Drakken's Death Rays, sending her back to the days just before their Junior Prom when she had been like a crushing sheep for something that wasn't even real. 'Time to grow up, Ron!' She threw herself back into his chest and started wailing afresh, "I'm Sorry, I'm Sorry, I'm Sorry, I'm Sorry, I'm soooooo Sorrryyyyy."

Ron was bewildered, 'What the Hell? What just happened? I nearly had her calmed down, and now this?!?!'

"Kim, Kim calm down, please, come on KP, calm down."

She barely heard it, but it was there. The syllables she wanted to hear even more than 'I Love You', he called her 'KP' for the first time in months and it sent her deeper into his arms crying harder than before.

Ron had no idea what to do, so he just stood there, holding the distraught young woman. Looking around he spied the couch and started leading her towards it, whispering, "Come on over here, come on, shhhh, it'll be OK." Settling on the couch she wasted no time in worming her way onto his lap and sobbed.

They just sat there as he tried to comfort her enough to where they could talk.

**********

Sousuke and Kaname had gone to the garage where Kaname confronted him about his comment.

With flashing eyes and in Japanese, she asked, _"What do you know about 'HOT' girls, Sousuke?!"_

_"UHHHHHHHH!"_

_"WELL?!?!"_

Somewhere Sousuke found a crowbar to get his foot out of his mouth,_ "Uhhh, Only that you're the HOTTEST girl I know!"_

Kaname was stunned. 'He'd done it! He'd actually done it! He dug himself out of the hole he was in. Again!' With one of her patented 'Kaname Chidori Sunbeam Smiles', "And don't you forget it, Sousuke. Come on, let's go start putting the Armory together." Sousuke just closed his eyes and with a VERY silent sigh thought 'Furniture moving, great! I can only hope she doesn't want to rearrange the rifle racks.'

They walked over to the pallets that contained his weapons and ammo supply. Using a pallet-jack they maneuvered the heavy crates on to the freight elevator. They descended into the basement and moved the crates in front of the vault door. Taking care to make sure each weapon was cleared, they started setting them into the racks along the walls. It was an impressive collection. Rifles, pistols, automatic machineguns, grenades of every sort, you name it, he had it!.

Once they had the armory loaded, Sousuke pulled out his Glock and checked the loads and action. Satisfied with what he saw, he looked at Kaname. She caught the _look_, he wanted to pop some rounds in the range. "All right. Three magazines, no more! It's been a really long day."

"Will you join me?"

Kaname blushed and she remembered his training her, him standing behind her, his arms around her, pressed up against her, forcing her feet, body and arms into the proper firing position. She had really come to enjoy practicing with him, and she wasn't sure if he was offering training or _training_. But either way it would be fun.

"Sure"

**********　

AN. For anyone that would like to know more about Sagara, Kaname, Mithral and Full Metal Panic in general then check out www(.)jindai-high(.)com for a basic overview of the characters, plot lines, equipment and general history of the Full Metal Panic stories. Also google FMP and check out the wiki links


	13. Sleepwalk

Shouts to my Beta CajunBear73 for his proofing. He finds the stuff I inevitability miss. And a thanks to Sentinel103 for his transition idears

Chapter 13 Sleepwalk

After she settled down to the point she could speak coherently, Kim and Ron talked. When Kim questioned him about his performance on Senior's Island, Ron gave her an explanation that shocked her.

"Ron, Wade streamed the video from Senior's place. The Tweebs were totally amped by the way. They're liable to mug you the next time they see you. It looked like you were even more powerful then on Graduation Day, what happened?"

"Kim, you have to understand, the Mystical Monkey Power gives me better reflexes, makes me stronger, helps me know what's happening around me in a fight. The Lotus Blade reacts to my wishes, becoming the weapon I want or need. A sword, a Bo, tonfa, nunchaku, a spear. Apart both are powerful, but that's nothing compared to what they are together."

"But they wanted something from me. I had prove that I was willing, not just able, but willing to take a life." Ron's voice was breaking a bit. "I don't mean just going out and finding a victim. That's murder. They won't work for a murderer. But they will work for a Warrior. And Warrior, sometimes, whether they want to or not, they have to kill. The Mystical Monkey Power and the Lotus Blade require a willingness to kill. Not in a bloodlust or just killing random people. But the true wielder MUST be willing to do so if necessary."

Ron was starting to settle down now.

"Kim, this whole thing with the invasion, the Lowardians, what we found out from Senior, it's taught me something. Something I really didn't wanna know. It's taught me that there are people in the world that you don't try to capture. You don't try to put them on trial. Because if they escape, they're gonna start all over again. And the body count will just climb. So you have a choice, one certain death of that you **KNOW **is Evil, or the possibility of dozens or hundreds of dead innocents."

In the last few days Kim had started to come to the same conclusion. But she had to make sure about the motives and reasons for what was happening to Ron. "But Ron, you're setting your self up as Judge, Jury and Executioner. We've always fought for Right. And just killing someone isn't Right"

"I may not like it, Kim, but Sagara's right. 'The actions of your enemy will tell you what you need to do'. If they're willing to talk, then talk. If they're willing to be captured, then send them to jail. But if they're bent on killing innocent people, then they don't leave you much choice, do they?"

"Kim, you can _NOT_ understand, because you're not a Jew. But over six million of us were slaughtered, for the hair to make a wig, or the gold fillings in our teeth or simply just because. And if I have to kill one or five or a hundred to stop another million murders…."

He sighed, "Had someone been willing to step up in the 1930's and kill a few of Hitler's men, men with names like Himmler, Mengele, Goering or even ol' Adolph himself, then maybe World War Two could have been avoided. Eleven million people in Europe alone, Kim, over forty million Russians, who knows how many in Asia. Hell, they're still finding mass graves from World War Two in places like China, Eastern Europe and the South Pacific."

Kim was surprised that Ron could rattle of the names of senior party members of the Nazi's. But she also knew they were names that had been carved into the Hebrew soul and psyche and would leave scars there for millennia. Names that would be remembered in rage, horror and in a warning almost as long as the name of Abraham.

"Ron, a lot of the Nazi's were put on trial after the War. They faced a Jury."

"Well, this is different, I know more about something than you. They didn't face a Jury, they faced a Military Tribunal. And Kim, most of the verdicts were a foregone conclusion at Nuremberg. For most of the defendants the only thing the Tribunal had to decide was Sentencing. And most of those men were sentenced to death, by hanging."

"Now, how many lives could have been saved if someone killed them twelve or thirteen years before? When they were telling people to riot in the German streets, or to go vandalizing the homes and businesses of the 'Juden'. If someone with the power and the will had stood up to them in 1933, then maybe some of my great-grandparents would have still been alive to see my Mom and Dad's wedding."

Blam…Blam…

Both Kim and Ron were instantly on their feet, back to back, trying to determine the direction the gunfire was coming from.

Blam…Blam…

It was coming from downstairs. And from the sound of it, it was in the basement.

Blam…Blam…

"Uh, do you think we should go make sure she's not plugging him full of holes?"

Blam…Blam…

"It's too measured, I think they're just down on the firing range."

Blam…Blam…

"You sure?"

Blam…Blam…

"Fairly?"

Blam…Blam…Blam… Silence…….

Ron surprised Kim. "15 rounds"

"You counted?!"

"Uh, it's kinda gotten to be a habit after so much Zombie Mayhem. If you don't keep track of your ammo, then the undead are likely to eat your brain."

"……Right?! Well come on, Kaname was me telling about Sagara's weapons stockpile. Let's go see if reality lives up to the hype."

"Are you sure she wasn't shooting him?"

Kim just gave him a _look_.

"Yeah. Right behind ya, Kim"

What they found in the range was an eye-opener. When they reached the firing range, Kaname was backed up tight against the Sergeant as she was holding a pistol with the slide locked to the rear in both hands in front of her. He had his hands on her hips while she had turned her face to meet his. It wasn't a passionate, heavy make-out session, but a soft gentle meeting between lovers.

Both were nearly oblivious to the world. Nearly, because when Kim, who had started to blush from what she saw, glanced at Ron, he was wearing his Zorpox smile when he started hammering on the glass between them, shouting "Hey guys!". What happened next was a blur.

Sagara turned completely around, placed himself between them and Kaname, drawn a pistol and had it aimed, not in their general direction, but Right At Them! This was before the empty clip Kaname had ejected hit the floor. She had somehow produced another clip for her BDA, slapped it home and released the slide lock. Seeing his reflexes on video was one thing, but seeing them personally was something else entirely. Kaname's were fast, but noting compared to Sagara's

"Whoa! Kim, remind me not to scare them again."

"Ron, don't scare them again."

"Ha ha."

Once Sousuke's brain caught up to his reflexes, he lowered the pistol and replaced it behind his back and quickly left the range. Kaname followed suite. picking up the empty clip before she exited the firing line as well. Sousuke went directly to the vault, while Kaname stopped in front of the other pair. "Be warned, we both sleep with pistols! Any questions?!" Kaname said, her right eyebrow twitching as she walked past the wide-eyed pair heading into the vault to reload the empty clip.

She was furiously shoving rounds into it as Kim and Ron entered. Sheepishly Ron said, "Uh sorry bout that, guys. I just couldn't resist."

Kaname looked at the obviously apologetic Kim and Ron. "Sousuke, how's your hand? I'd like to listen to you play for a while before we get ready for bed."

"Fully functional, Kaname."

"Then why don't you go get ready, I'll lock up here in a few minutes, OK?"

As clueless as he might have been, he could see the twitching eyebrow. A sure sign of a K-bomb ticking away. "I'll meet you upstairs."

"Thank you, Sousuke."

As he left Ron heard him mutter, "You have my sympathies."

Once he was gone she stormed up to Ron with a very quiet, menacing tone. "It has taken me months to get him to the point that he is comfortable enough to **initiate** intimacy. He lost his family when he was six and until he met me, no one had given him so much as a hug. If you have set him back, I will hurt you, magical monkey powers or no."

Ron was not about to correct her and say that it was Mystical, not magical. "I'm sorry."

She just shouldered her way past the blonde, jerking her head, to tell them to leave the vault. Once they were outside, she hit the palm-lock and went upstairs to meet up with her man.

"Well, that was kinda dumb."

"Ron, you couldn't have known."

"No, but I remember how tweaked we use to get when people interrupted us." Ron left the vault heading upstairs. He felt he had an apology to make. Kim was wishing they could do those things that got interrupted again.

**********

Back upstairs, the American duo were treated to something, that while not unexpected, it was nevertheless surprising. Since they had not had the chance to reassemble Frankenstein, Sousuke played unaccompanied. As they entered, they heard an excellent rendition of 'Sleepwalk' echoing throughout the living room. Sousuke had his right foot on a leftover plastic crate with the Fender sitting on his knee. Kaname was sitting close to him just listening to him play. She was lost in the music and he was lost in her. He picked his way through the chords while she watched, just letting the music wash her anger away. As the last chords of 'Sleepwalk' floated through the air, she smiled up at him.

"Play it."

"Kaname?"

"The first song you ever played for me, play it."

"But I don't have the system set up yet."

"I don't care. Play it, please."

He gave her a nod and adjusted the tune of the Fender. Once it was tuned to his satisfaction, he picked a lyrical tune and then dropped into a rhythm. After a couple of minutes the tune changed and he started playing much harder. It was then that both Kim and Ron recognized the song. It was the guitar portion of the song 'The Game Of Love' by the incomparable Carlos Santana with the lyrics sung by Michelle Branch.

For Kaname, watching him play was an experience that depended on the song he was playing. She had seen him angry, Frankenstein screaming with the rest of the song as he hammered out 'Awake' by Godsmack or getting a bit of payback on her while he used the guitar like a phallic symbol playing AC/DC's 'You Shook Me All Night Long' and Van Halen's 'Pretty Woman' during the last get together they had with their friends in Japan.

But this song, this song was special. It was the first song he had ever played for her, and while the lyrics touched her heart, it was listening and watching him play it that turned her insides to goo. It was passion, he played with passion, and it was one of the few times anyone could see it

A flippant remark from her and his own literal minded cluelessness had started him down the road to picking up the guitar. After blowing up the shoe lockers for the umpteenth time she had shouted at him to find a better hobby. He did, and it led to an outlet to the emotions and passion she **knew** he had below that stoic surface.

Kim and Ron shared a look of confusion. The same thing was running through both of their heads. 'This was the emotionless Soldier? The expressionless, stoic faced young man they had met two days ago? This is the guy that's afraid of initiating intimacy?! She's putty in his hands and he doesn't even know it!'

They both just shook their heads at the change placing a guitar in his hands had wrought on the Soldier. Oh, he still wore the neutral face he normally did, but with the music, you could tell there were emotions buried there. As the song ended both of the Americans entered the room the rest of the way.

"Hey Sagara, can I talk to you for a minute."

When he nodded, Ron looked around at the other occupants of the room and headed out the doors to the patio. Once they were alone he stumbled his words, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh, damn, look, I'm sorry about what happened downstairs. I just couldn't resist. It was a joke, alright?"

Sousuke looked at him strangely for a moment. "Understood Stoppable-san, I don't really understand 'jokes', but I know you weren't being malicious."

"Thanks Dude. Ya know, I gotta tell ya, I know music and that was outstanding. I mean I even had a hit song, but that was amazing. How long have ya been playing."

"A few months."

Ron thought he felt his jaw hit the roof. If it had been almost anyone else, he would've thought it was a joke. But as Sousuke had demonstrated so well, he really didn't do jokes. "A few **months**?"

"Yes. We should return, they are waiting for us."

The rest of the evening passed quickly once they returned to the living room. It had been a long day for all of them and they went to their separate rooms, with Kim and Ron looking at the other pair, then each other. They quickly ducked away from the Japanese couple so they could say their goodnights.

**********

A little later, when they were getting ready for bed, the brushing of teeth and whatnot, Kim HAD to know. "Kaname, was he just acting when I told him that Shego wanted to sleep with him, that **was **a joke by the way, or is Sagara really that clueless?"

"You have no idea. I have to say though, he has gotten better."

"You mean he used to be worse?!?!"

"Yes, at least he figured it out once Ronald-san pointed out the metaphor." Kaname rested her forehead in her hand, chuckling. "You know, it wasn't funny then, but there was this one time when he showed just how clueless he could be."

"I'm not sure I wanna know."

"You have to understand, Sousuke can be very literal. For most high schools in Japan, clubs and extracurriculars are mandatory. At our old high school, Jindai, clubroom space was at a real premium. The Sociology Club only had two members and a whole classroom to themselves. The year before they had like twenty members, that's why they had the classroom."

"So they agreed to give up the room, but on their terms. They wanted to run an experiment. They had a contest to find out what kind of person could **flirt** the best. They had the clubs that wanted the room compete against one another. Simple rules, four hours, whichever club's three-**male**-team convinced the most girls to meet at the finish, won the room. Sousuke had just joined the Photography Club and… they needed a room."

Kim started grinning, "I bet that didn't set well with you."

"We weren't together then." Kaname sheepishly glanced away and added, "No, it didn't. The only problem was our friend, Kazama-san. He described the endeavor to the literal minded Sousuke as" Kaname paused for effect, "'A Girl Hunt'!"

Kim was aghast, "OH NO!!"

Kaname just gently nodded, "He was catching girls in cages. Sousuke's big on fishing and he said," She tried to shift her voice to match Sousuke's tenor, "'It's Catch and Release, it's not a problem.' I will never forget the look on his face once I got through that Otaku head of his, what flirting involves." Sigh. "That's not the end of the story though."

"What? You're kidding!!"

"No, I'm not. Just before the start of the contest, Sousuke had made a bet with the Music Club that he could get at least one girl to show up with him. If he lost he would have had to swim across the small lake in the park where the contest was."

Kim was confused, "That's not that bad."

"Naked. Luckily it was late spring."

Kim was slack-jawed.

Kaname had a VERY smug look on her face. "That was one of the times I saved his Otaku hide. About an hour before the contest ended, I had finally gotten through his head what he was doing wrong. But he still didn't know how to do it right. He was going from girl to girl scaring them to death, asking them Military and Intelligence related questions."

She looked very contented look now. "Then, he was so sweet. There was this little granny. He had jumped in front of her before he knew how old she was. And she started babbling about how he looked like her grandson, how she hoped he would be like Sousuke when he got older and how she was trying to find a birthday present for him."

"Sousuke dropped everything. He told her just a moment, ran into a store and came back out a few minutes later with this toy tank. He presented it to her and told her a little about it. Then he put it in her bag and walked her to the train."

"Even with that bet hanging over him, he still took the time to help someone. He was helpless," Kaname sounded fiercely protective now, "but he was never hopeless. He never quit. When I saw that, I knew I couldn't let him down. I had to rescue him from himself. "

"I went home and dressed in a kimono my mother had left me. I did my hair and make-up in a different, more adult style and went back to the park. I fooled everybody. I was practically hanging on poor Sousuke, cooing at him that," her voice turned sultry, pure smoke, filled with promises. "I'm ready for our date now. I just needed some time to sneak away from my husband."

"He was in shock and the look on everyone's face was priceless. I just grabbed Sousuke's arm and started leading him away. He had no idea who I was, but he was too shocked and too polite to just pull away. It took him a while and a bit of prompting from me, but he finally figured it out."

"And that was the first time he told me I was beautiful. I'll admit that I get jealous when another girl makes a pass at him, but Sousuke having a wandering eye is one thing I KNOW I never have to worry about. Doesn't mean I might not tease him about it, though." Kaname finished with an evil gleam in her eyes.

**********

The following morning, the Kimmunicator pulled Kim out of the pallet she was sleeping in. "Go Wade, what's the sitch?"

"Morning, Kim. Dr. Director left a message that she wants to see you, Ron, Kaname and Kamikaze-san as soon as you can get there"

"Kamikaze-san?"

Wade had a huge grin on his face "Yeah, after that 'generous offer' comment last night, I figure he has a death wish as long as he could take an American down in flames with him."

Kim tried, she really tried to look stern. She failed. Chuckling she said, "Alright Wade. I'll start knocking on doors."

"Just go to the Bueno Nacho tube when your ready. Wade out."

She entered the bathroom she would now be sharing with Kaname, thanking God she always carried a mission pack. She pulled out a the toiletries to get her started for the day. Looking in the mirror she saw her eyes were still bloodshot from all the crying she had done last night. No time to worry about that now. She quickly brushed her teeth, washed her face and pulled out her hairbrush. She had just started on her hair when she heard it.

Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang.

She instinctively dropped into mission mode and started to go in search of the gunfire. It took a second before she realized that it was probably Sagara down in the firing range again. This was going to take some getting used to. Her face heated up from the memory of finding the Japanese couple in the middle of a make-out session down there last night.

A thought occurred to her. She knocked on the door to the other bedroom, "Kaname?" She knocked and called out again. Opening the door, she looked inside the room and saw her empty rumpled bed. From downstairs she heard firing again. She heard what had to be at least two pistols, one firing much more rapidly then the other. 'OK, so Kaname is probably there too.' Then she heard something that really made her jump.

Ratattattattattattattattattattattattattattat

'Automatic weapons fire?' She started running in Mission Mode, looking for threats on her way to the Firing Line. She absently noted the smells of breakfast on the way. What she saw when she got there was stunning. There was Sagara removing the magazine from an FN-Herstal F2000 assault rifle and Kaname was slapping a clip into her BDA, but miracle of miracles, Ron was there, gingerly holding a Ruger P89 9MM pistol with the slide to the rear and a harried look on his face.

"RON?"

"Oh, morning Kim, your breakfast is upstairs on the table."

"Ron you're already up?!"

"Heh, yeah, funny thing. Sagara has the same technique to wake people up as Uncle Roger."

"And it works? What is it?" Ron was **not** about to tell her, but Sousuke beat him to the punch.

"A pitcher of ice water, I merely had to rattle it and he jumped up shouting something about 'Uncle Rog'. It is the same technique the Mithral Drill Sergeants used on trainees reluctant to awaken when I was in Basic."

Kim had an EVIL grin, "I'll have to remember that."

Ron looked at Sousuke and sarcastically quipped, "Thanks Dude!"

Sousuke either completely missed the sarcasm or he just ignored it. "You're welcome, Stoppable-san."

"Anyway! Wade just called, he said that Dr. Director wanted to meet with all of us ASAP. He said to go to the BN tube when we're ready."

Once they had placed the weapons back in their proper places, i.e. on their person or back in the vault, the group trooped back upstairs. Before they left Sousuke showed the American pair the security in place for the armory. Logging in to the terminal inside the vault, he had the two of them place their palms to the scanner plate and create passwords. Kim watched as Ron rubbed his chin in thought for a second when a devious grin crossed his face. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him tap out the password 'KI55myA55!!'. It wasn't until the following morning that she caught it.

Kim hurriedly ate while the rest finished getting ready. Taking Eleanor to Bueno Nacho, they left her with instructions to return to the base and await further instructions.

**********

Since all four were expecting the tubes this time there wasn't a repeat of a few days ago. They dropped into the briefing room to see Dr. Director waiting for them at the head of the table and Wade's image on the large screen behind her. "Miss Possible, Miss Chidori, Mr. Stoppable, Sergeant, Good Morning, please be seated. We have quite a bit to cover and not a lot of time, so be aware that during this discussion, I am going to be very blunt. This is not personal, deal with it."

As they were taking their seats, Dr. Director stood and moved behind her chair to have room to pace and be able to see everyone. Once they were seated she looked across the young adults in front of her. "Sergeant, I know you have been given a solemn task to perform, however even this does not justify revealing the existence of Mithral to the general public. So in the interest of security you will be undercover during your journey. As will the rest of you. **IF,** and only if, I approve of your presence on the mission. You will each have to satisfy me that your presence will not jeopardize operational security."

"First and foremost, all three of you will be under the Sergeant's orders. While you are on duty, if he say's jump, you say how high. This is non-negotiable. Having read his files, I expect that the Sergeant will act in a professional manner at all times and not abuse his authority in any way. I feel that both Mr. Stoppable and Miss Chidori, likely will not have a problem with this. However, you Miss Possible, have always been the Leader on missions. Not this time, this time the Sergeant is in Command. Is this going to be a problem?" She looked at the others. "For any of you?"

Receiving negative responses all around, she continued. "Alright, here's how this is gonna work. The four of you are going to be posing as U.S. Army personnel. You will visit the base tailor to get your uniforms made as soon as this meeting is over. Sergeant, you will have your current rank of Staff Sergeant. Miss Possible, Mr. Stoppable, the two of you will be E-4's. Miss Possible, you will given the rank of Corporal and second in command. Mr. Stoppable, you will be a Specialist. Miss Chidori an E-3, Private First Class."

"Before I hear any objections, I want you all to know that **I **made the decision on your ranks. This was based on your experience with military matters and leadership skills. There will be **no** negotiations. Any problems so far?"

Seeing the shaking of heads, she went on, "The last major problem will be the two of you." She pointed at Ron and Sousuke. "The United States Army is not Mithral," She glanced at Sousuke, then at Ron, "nor is it a freelance team. There are regulations. And among them is AR-670-1, Wear and Appearance of the Army Uniforms and Insignia, Part 1-8. The part of the regulations that cover acceptable hairstyles. You ladies will have to have your hair up in a bun above the collars of your uniforms. Gentleman, you on the other hand are going to have to visit the barber. 'High and Tights' as well as freshly shaved at all times. Particularly in view of the duty you have volunteered for. Respect for the deceased requires no less. Is this going to be an issue with either of you?"

Sousuke answered immediately, just as the Da Danaan Command team knew he would, "No M'am."

Ron looked torn. Biting his lip, he looked at Sousuke. Taking a breath, he said, "Ahh, what the Hell! Uncle Rog said, 'The only difference between a good haircut and a bad one is six weeks' I'm in."

Betty beamed, "Ron, I can _not_ begin to tell you just how proud of you I am right now. And I just want to say, that when you're ready, I would be honored to have you as a fulltime Agent. Now to continue, each of you are going to be given awards appropriate to you ranks."

She looked at Kim and Ron, "Unfortunately you are not going to able to wear everything you might have earned, because if you did, the two of you would most likely be wearing at least a couple of Silver Stars, and probably the Distinguished Service Cross and the Medal of Honor, as well." She looked over at the Japanese pair, "The same goes for the two of you. But every medal and ribbon you will have on, you've earned. Don't doubt that for a second or feel like you're wearing something you're not entitled to."

"Last chance, if you want out, now's the time. Because from now until LT Wiseman is transferred to the Next of Kin, you are on duty." Not seeing anything other then determination and willingness to get the job done, Betty smiled. "If the four of you ever hit the field together, it's gonna be a real **bad** day for the **bad** guys. Mr. Load?!"

"M'am."

"Any objections to my drafting you for tech support for them?"

"None, Dr. Director. I have already gotten a Kimmunicator ready for Ron, and I can have two more in a couple of days."

"Excellent. Could you stream that video I had you find." Looking back at the detail, she said. "Pay attention, what you about to see is some of what is involved in rendering Honors as an Escort."

Wade's image blanked to be followed by a long box, covered by an American Flag, sitting on the floor of a transport plane. Six Soldiers, in two files of three, slowly marched up and split to either side of what was obviously a casket. "The four of you will not be required to move the deceased, that's the job of other people. Yours is to be there to Guard and render Honors."

The detail on the screen 'Center Faced', slowly squatted, grabbed the handles and lifted the casket to the waist. On command, they lifted to their shoulders and faced forward. "She will be moved feet first at all times." The detail slowly marched ahead, down the ramp, moving the casket to a waiting cart.

There was a group of Soldiers standing at 'Attention', outside of the plane. It was raining, no, it wasn't raining, it was pouring. Yet they stood there, unmoving, barely blinking and on command of 'Present Arms', they very slowly raised their arms in salute. "Any time she is moved from one transport to another, you will render Honors." The screen showed the Honor Guard slowly lowering their arms back to the position of 'Attention' as the cart pulled away. Once the video finished Wade's image returned.

"The only time she is to be unattended will be when she is secured in a locked area."

Betty caught a very quiet "Like Hell." from Sousuke. She suspected the only time LT Wiseman would be alone, would be if she was placed in the belly cargo area of a civilian passenger plane, and maybe not even then.

"Sergeant, you have about 3 days to get them trained." She indicated the other three and looked at all them again. "This looks and sounds like an easy job; and physically it is. But make no mistake…" She paused and everyone in the room was suddenly positive that Elizabeth Director had done this duty before. "…it's not! Not if you want to do it Right! And what this person has sacrificed requires _nothing_ less."

"Now, what say the four of you get ready to head down to the tailors and get measured. You'll each be getting two sets of class A's and a set of Dress Blues. The class A's are your duty uniform and the Blues are for the funeral and interment, if you wish to attend. Don't worry about setting up your uniforms, I have a couple of former U.S. Army NCO's to help you out."

"Question?…Comments?…"

Sousuke gave look a Ron for a second that screamed 'Tell Her' "Dr. B, we should tell you what we found our from Senior."

"I'm listening."

So Ron, Sousuke and Wade, going through the data, briefed her on the threats that Senior had laid out to Ron.

At first she inwardly scoffed at the idea that the National Socialists could make a return in force. But as they went on she was becoming more and more convinced. The data Wade was pulling up was damning. The conversations they had with Senior, money transfers, snippets of cell calls, suspicious, possibly extra-legal activities. The only thing they didn't mention was Ron's new credit card.

"Alright, Mr. Stoppable, what say we take Senior's advice. I'm going to assign you the lead on this, handle it. If you need resources from G.J. call Mr. Load and place the request. And he was right about the Lipsky's, call 'em, let 'em know what's going on. Better yet, why don't you do it in person. It's a bit out of the way, but you can stop there on your way to meet up with LT Wiseman."

The next two days were a flurry of activity for the team. Moving Ron and Kim was fairly easy. For the most part, all they had to move was their clothes. Kim used the Sloth and got a hand from Kaname, while Sousuke used Eleanor to move Ron. The hard part was moving Wade's gear. He screwed up his courage long enough to visit the base and check out the areas he was going to be using.

He was impressed with the space the Sergeant had given him in the basement of the building. He had a **lot **more power available compared to his parents house and just as much space. The advantage to the space at the base was he didn't have to share it with his packrat parents. He looked around the room with glittering eyes, thinking about the things he could do here, with the thought running through his head, 'It's mine, all mine!'. And the garage was defiantly a nice bonus. So far the only things in the garage was the Sloth, Eleanor and the four Bonta-kuns.

The B-K's were parked 2x2 in one corner, leaving more then enough room for the two cars on that side. This left the whole other wall, along with the lift and overhead crane open for Wade to have fun. He was nearly rubbing his hands in an unconscious imitation of Drakken.

Forty-eight hours after the meeting with Dr. Director, they were called to tailors again. Yesterday was the final fittings to see if they needed any altering and now they were going to have them set up, with the help of Betty's NCO's, a pair of former Sergeants First Class. One was female and the other a male. Both had been Platoon Sergeants before and knew the score on AR-670-1 standards.

They split the team by gender and went to the fitting rooms. They placed each uniform on and the NCO's, using a mini-ruler and a guide carefully placed each piece of insignia and awards in it's proper place. The girls were taking longer due to the way the uniforms were made, so the guys were trooped to the barber.

After having been given a heads up by Kaname, Betty made **sure** the barber only used clippers on Sousuke and didn't go anywhere near the scissors. Ron was still a little hesitant, but took his seat with a minimum of fuss.

The evenings had been occupied with Sousuke giving the rest of them training on drill and marching. How to stand at Attention, Parade Rest, how to salute properly and the difference between a salute and rendering Honors. Facing movements and marching in step were easy for the girls for some reason, but Ron was lost until Kim hit upon the idea "It's like a dance, Ron." Annnnnd the light bulb flashed ON! He just applied his 'Bondiggity' dancing skills and within a few hours they were in lockstep.

After the haircuts to AR-670-1/1-8 standards, the guys put on the dressed out uniforms for the first time. Both of the Senior NCO's, knowing that the mission was to bring a KIA home, spent a lot of their own time getting the team ready. They shaved and prepared the Berets, polished all of the Brass on the uniforms, put a mirror shine on the shoes and once the team was wearing the uniforms, went over them in meticulous detail making sure they were perfect.

Kim was stunned when she saw Ron standing there in a set of Dress Blues. He looked like a completely different person. Ron Stoppable had never been considered a 'hottie', but seeing him now, he was almost drool worthy. He looked better then he had in that tux Canadian Joe had given him. Kim had to mentally chant to herself, 'Don't unspool the drool, Don't unspool the drool, Don't unspool the drool.'

If it hadn't been for the fact she knew to look for it and the nameplate that said 'Stoppable', she probably would have missed him. The hair was the nearly the biggest change. She had always pictured him with his cowlick. But now it was gone leaving behind a half inch buzz that faded to nothing before reaching the ears. He was standing in front of the NCO at Attention with a neutral expression, while the former Sergeant First Class made a final check using his mini ruler.

Kaname walked in and moved to the Staff Sergeant watching the Sergeant First Class carefully, making note of what to look for, so he could make sure his team looked perfect for it's Duty. She 'adjusted' his collar, saying, "Well, don't you clean up nice!"

Sousuke looked her up and down, saying "Thank you Kaname, you look good as well." She wasn't sure if he was checking out her uniform or if he was checking _her_ out. Either way, she didn't mind.

The day before, Ron had Wade contact Drakken and Shego asking for a meeting. He stressed the importance of the information he had for them and the fact that they needed to talk to his cousin Motor Ed as well. Drakken was intrigued enough to agree to the terms as long as they swore they wouldn't blow the place up.

Once the uniforms were ready, they each carefully packed them in hanging suit bags and loaded them in the Sloth along with Kim and Ron's mission packs and a couple of small shoulder bags for the Japanese pair. Because Ron insisted on his standard snack age, Sousuke was allowed to take a greatly reduced weapons bag. He wasn't happy, but space was going to be at a premium with the four of them in the car as well.

Kim and Ron called their families and let them know the two of them would be on a mission for at least the next 72 hours and probably longer. James was about to go into his standard 'Black Hole' speech, but decided against it. Not only were Kim and Ron 'ex's', but no matter what else, Ron had more then earned James's trust.

They were heading back to the Sloth when Kaname surprised Ron by saying 'Shotgun!' She wanted to be up front to learn how the controls worked.

It had never crossed his mind that he wouldn't be sitting in the passenger seat. "Awww man, alright, you won it fair and square."

Kaname had a just a little bit of mercy on him. "You can have it after we land, how that sound?

"A booyah!"

**********

Drakken had told his mullet-headed cousin to arrive shortly before the Buffooo, (Oh have it your way, Shego) Stoppable. He wanted to get something straight with the imbecile before he had a chance to get himself plasma-fried. For the last week or so, Shego had been having horrendous mood swings. He liked the playful, frisky Shego, she was fun. But the hair-trigger Shego, not so much.

Ed stepped off the hovercar Drakken had sent to pick him up. He was a bit torqued that he couldn't have ridden his bike, but he hadn't figured out how to get it to cross water yet. He was working on it though.

"Cousin Drew! How ya doin? Good to see ya. Seriously!"

For the first time since his U.N. pardon, Drew was dressed as Drakken. Right down to the boots and heavy gloves. He was trying to make a point and Ed did NOT understand subtle. "Edward, It's good to see you, too. I'd like to have a word with you for a moment."

"Sure thing, Drewbie! What do ya wanna rap about, seriously?"

"Number one, if you call me 'Drewbie' in the next twenty-four hours. I will hurt you."

"Cuz?"

Drakken poked his finger into Ed's chest "Shut up and listen. I'm about to tell you something for your own health. Shego is not in the best of moods. She got into a slight altercation with the Cheerleader and she's a little banged up. The bruises and split lip are only just now healing. If you go aggravating her, she's liable to maim or cripple you for life."

"Yesterday, when she heard that you were coming to the lair, she spent the next ten hours, sharpening her claws. An hour for each one. So if you want to survive the next few hours as a whole man, I would suggest you keep your comments to yourself. Is that clear?"

"Ah come on, Cuz. All she needs is a little bit of 'Lipsky Lovin', seriously!"

Gone was the slightly comedic Dr. Drakken. In his place stood a different person. Most people didn't know that Drakken was a Nordic pronunciation of Dragon. **DRAKKEN **had arrived, and he was not amused. "Shego gets all the 'Lipsky Lovin' she wants. Just not from you! Since you don't seem to understand, I'll make it even clearer. If you go sexually harassing her, making passes at her, hitting on her, trying to flirt with her, then you will answer to me. I will make you life a living Hell!"

Ed looked down at his smaller relative, "Cuz, I'm bigger and stronger than you. I can kick your ass. Seriously!"

Drakken looked up completely unafraid. He knew he held all the cards. "True, but I will tell not only my Mother and yours, but Grandmamma as well, that you have been treating a woman with disrespect!"

Ed's tanned face went chalky, "Cuz, that's just wrong!"

"It works! Do you understand what I am saying to you now?"

"Sure thing, Cuz. Leave Green Babe alone, seriously!"

"Good, now come along, the meeting starts in an hour." Drakken had started walking from the hangar when Ed asked a question.

"But, Cuz, where's Green Babe gonna get her 'Lipsky Lovin' from if I can't give it to her?"

Drakken stopped and turned. It started at his head and he twisted until he was facing the other man. Then he just **stared** at his cousin.

"Uh, Drew, ya Ok?"

"Edward, I want you to think about the question you just asked me. **Where** do you think she's getting it from?!"

After a minute, it dawned on the mullet head. Ed's voice was filled with awe. "Nooo Waaaay!"

"Like I said, if you bother her, you will answer to ME! Let's go, the other guests should be arriving soon."

"I still think it's weird not setting a trap for Red and her sidekick."

Drakken stopped again and stared. "Edward, have you been hiding under a rock for the last four months? Haven't you heard the reports of how the alien invasion was stopped.

"Uh, not really, I just heard some crazy story that Red's Sidekick tossed them into the air. Gotta be bogus though, no way that little dude coulda done it."

"Really? Did you not see the video of what happened to Dementor and his Henchmen when they pushed the 'Sidekick' just a little too far?"

"That was doctored, Dude, had to be!"

"Well, for your information Edward, I was there when, what's his name again, oh yes, Stoppable threw both of those eight foot tall aliens into a crashing, burning spaceship. And I can personally assure you that the Dementor video was not doctored. If you go trying to hurt Kimberly, that young man can, and likely will, tear you apart. For all of our sakes. Forget any ideas you have about setting a trap."

"But, he's just a little skanky dude."

"It doesn't matter, Edward, a nuclear weapon can be the size of a suitcase nowadays. And from what I've seen, it's a whole lot safer too. Leave the two of them alone. Now come along!"

**********

Tessa had an Eee-viiiil plan in mind. It was risky, but the payoff could be enormous. Since this wasn't strictly official business, she couldn't risk using commo channels to call him in. So she went in search of the person best suited to pull off this hazardous duty. When she found him he was alone in his shared cabin in NCO Country.

"Tessa, babe, what can I do for ya?"

There was a cold fire glittering in her eyes when she said, "Sergeant Weber, I would like to know if you would volunteer for a very hazardous, strictly _unofficial_ mission? I must warn you, it could be very dangerous!"

Kurz had seen that same look in the mirror in his own eyes when he was getting ready to pull a massive prank. He gave her the blue eyed, roguish grin that had landed him on the cover of 'TAG' magazine. "Unofficial, huh? And what might this _hazardous_ mission involve."

"In a day or so, Sergeant Sagara will arrive with a detail to escort LT Wiseman home. They will not leave until 24 hours later. There will be a get together the evening they arrive. One of the escorts is a Corporal, female, very attractive, legal. I need you to just… be yourself around her. Not too much, I don't want you hurt! But I want you to try and get her attention enough to get her… friend's attention.

"Tessa, are we going to be matchmaking?"

"What to you think Sergeant Weber?"

"Please, come in. let's talk more."


	14. Hair Triggers

i really wanna thank my betas Sentinel103 and CajunBear73 for both their work and reviews

Oh, and Mack53B, if I took you from laughing to crying within a few paragraphs, then I did just exactly what I intended to do.

Chapter 14 Hair Triggers.

Ron was in the backseat with Sousuke and he had his Kimmunicator out with Wade's image in the screen. No one could hear the conversation because he had both an earpiece and a sub vocal mike plugged in. A very low pitched muttering was the only thing that could be heard, and even that was drowned out by the thrum of the engines pushing the Sloth on its near sub-orbital flight to Drakken's Caribbean Lair.

Betty had put him in charge of the job to find and deal with the upcoming threats from the Nazi's and for once, both his inner Zorpox and his essential Ronness were in complete agreement. The bastards that were threatening his family had better reconsider the idea of going after their intended targets or things would get ugly.

For the first time, he was giving his inner Zorpox personality a nearly free reign. He was listing threats to the base and measures and countermeasures to add to it. He had also hit upon the idea of having a transport tube linking them to the G.J. facility so they wouldn't have to drive to the tube near Bueno Nacho. It could also act as an escape tunnel in an emergency.

In a fit of Zorpox deviousness and Ron Stoppable generosity, he also suggested that Wade 'hook up' Frankenstein for the Sergeant. The fact that he could "play" with it as well never entered his mind. Nope, not a bit.

Ron's rambling comments also lead to an idea of Wade's. Sousuke had told Ron how much damage Eleanor had taken during their escape from and subsequent assault against the Yakuza back in Japan and how much time and money it had taken to get the A.I. equipped car back online.

When he mentioned this to Wade, the genius had a flash of 'regenerating armor'. It could add a bit of weight to the car, but with the HP and torque provided by the massive engine, the tradeoff could be worth it. He set Ron's rambling to "Record" so he wouldn't miss any idea's and contacted Sousuke.

Sousuke felt a vibration from the highly modified Kimmunicator. It was much smaller than Kim and Ron's version and didn't have nearly the analytical or data storage and retrieval functions as theirs. It didn't even have the game functions Ron's had. At his request, his was more of a covert worldwide cell phone that was made to look like a heavy divers watch or a combat timepiece, with Wade's usual built in encryption and security features.

When Wade asked him about his choice, the answer surprised the young genius. With his gruff deadpan voice he said, "I rarely have time for detailed analysis before things start blowing up, but with this I can call for assistance or reinforcements as needed. The most dangerous man on the battlefield isn't the one with the biggest weapon. It's the man with the radio." He fished an earpiece from his pocket, placed it in his ear and fumbled with finding the unfamiliar call button for a moment. Tapping the call button produced a tiny virtual screen with Wade's image. "This is Sagara, go ahead."

"Hey Sergeant, I wanted to know if I can have access to the Bonta-kuns and Eleanor's code? I have a few idea's in mind and I want to see if I can improve the armor."

Sousuke glanced to the front, seeing Kim and Kaname in an animated conversation about something to do with makeup and _laser lipstick_?! "I have already granted you access to the Bonta-kuns. Just go to number 1, that is the yellow one, and state your name and the access code 0005 Whiskey Lima. Follow its direction on creating new passwords and biometric access. It can follow verbal orders to maneuver itself throughout the garage and onto the freight elevator. Unit 01 is the prototype and it has the most accessible A.I. codes. The others are basic commercial production models. As for Eleanor, you do realize that it is Miss Chidori's car?"

"Yeah, but I wanted to make it a surprise."

"Very well, use the same procedure for Eleanor. But be warned, Miss Chidori has had mixed reactions to surprises in the past. She was pleased when I gave her command over Eleanor, but she didn't seem too happy about the flash-bang earrings I presented her with. It's very confusing."

"Sounds like it. But that's girls for ya. Call if you need anything, Sergeant. And thanks again."

"It's not a problem, Sagara out." click

Wade was going to have to get use to the brusque way Sagara had when ending his calls. When he said 'Out', he meant it. For now though Wade had some new toys to play with and with Ron's random spouting of ideas, this could be fun.

Back on the Sloth, Sousuke was doing what all good Troopers do when they are on a transport into a potentially hostile LZ (Landing Zone). He had already made checks of his weapons and equipment, so he was trying to sleep. Once you hit a Combat Zone, you never know when you might get the chance to get more, so the best thing you can do is 'get it while the getting's good.'

Ron had ended his call to Wade, not realizing he'd been put on hold, and was thinking about what to say to the Lipsky's. He wasn't sure how to tell them about the information he had gotten from Triple S.

Kim was showing Kaname the basics of 'driving' the Sloth. In the last several months, Kaname had developed something of a lead foot and the thought of a car that goes so fast it flew, literally, was intriguing. She didn't like the lack of the sound of a huge V-8 motor though.

Having spent some time in the Sloth, she thought she would stick to Eleanor. Besides, this car was seriously lacking in the armor and weapons department. After having been shot at on several occasions, she wanted to keep as much armor between her and the enemies as she could, as well as the ability to return the favor, in needed.

With a 45 minute flight time to the lair, the strangely volcanic looking island appeared below them and Kim set up for a final approach. Once they were on the ground and parked in the hanger, they exited the car. Sousuke and Kaname looked around the place with suspicious eyes. This was the base of a former techno-villain after all.

Ron just noted the additions to the defenses, shaking his head, muttering, "They never learn, ya know? They put all this time and money in to doom lasers and traps and keep forgetting the HVAC system."

Kim quietly replied, "I hope they never remember, just makes our job a whole lot easier."

Ron got an enlightened look, nodded and said, "Yeah, that's true."

Kaname and Sousuke just watched the interplay between the other two. As they started heading to the Central Core, Ron kept turning around and walking backwards looking behind them. "Ron, what are you doing?"

"Making sure we're going the right way."

Kim was confused. "By walking backwards?"

"Yeah, every other time we've gone to the Core, we went through the ductwork." He pointed upwards.

"And that applies to your walking backwards, how?"

"Because every time we've left the Core, just before it blew up, we ran this way." He pointed back down the corridor. "Things look really different when you take the same path in reverse. Gotta watch your back trail, know what I mean."

Sousuke immediately turned around, noting the features of the route, saying, "That is a very astute observation, Stoppable-san! You are correct."

"Thanks Dude!'

"It's not a problem."

The girls just shared a look that said, 'Yeah Right!?'

Kim started walking again saying, "Come on, Hop Along Cassidy, they're waiting for us."

When they got closer to the Core, Ron lead them into the computer and massive screen laden chamber. They saw Shego lounging in a chair with her feet propped up and a nail file in her hand, mumbling to herself.

Ron greeted her with a hearty "Morning Shego!"

"Whatever."

Sousuke and Kaname looked around the cavern when Sousuke noticed a large barely conscious man with smoking clothes and blond hair pinned against a wall by a wad of orange goo. He appeared to be scorched in several places. Sousuke was just about to go and render First Aid when Kim grabbed his upper arm, quietly saying, "Wait."

"But Possible-san, that man appears to need medical attention."

"That's Motor Ed, Drakken's cousin. And if he's in that kind of shape, he probably deserved it."

Shego groused, "Just ignore 'em. It'll save us all a lot of headaches." Shego never looked up at them. She just continued to buff out a chip on the nail of her right ring finger, muttering about "Stupid mullet heads.".

Ron was amused at the sight of a smoking Ed. Chuckling he asked, "What'd he do to wind up like that?"

"He tried to grab my ass, that's what." She clenched her right hand and ignited it. "I figure I'll have to reinforce the lesson in a few hours. The idiot never learns." She let the plasma die, shouting, "DRAKKEN, WHERE'S MY PICKLES?"

From the doorway to the kitchen they heard, "Coming Shego." Drakken entered carrying a tray with a plate of pickle spears and a drink pitcher.

Ron addressed the azure hued man "Hey Drakken!"

KIM POSSIBLE! Wait, you're not the Cheerleader. Who are you?" Drakken saw a green flash to the right. Looking over, he saw Shego still hadn't looked up, but she was scowling to beat the band, had her right hand lit up again. She held up a plasma wreathed finger and pointed. Drakken looked where she was pointing and saw one of the numerous blackboards littering the Central Core. He sat the tray down and read the sentence that had been repeated thousands of times.

"'The Buffoon's real name is Ronald Stoppable.' OH, YOU'RE THE ONE SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT!"

Ron looked irked, "Come on, Dr. D. I know you know my name. I made ya say back at the BN HQ."

"Well in my defense, you look very different then the last time I saw you. You had hair before."

Shego had been so absorbed in her nails and waiting for her pickles, she only just now looked up, noticing the 'high and tight' Ron was sporting. She stood up and circled Ron. "You're right Drew. What happen, Ronnie-boy? You get into a fight with a set of clippers and lose? That's worse than losing your pants. Man, and I thought your ears were big before."

Sousuke surprised everyone in the chamber, except for Kaname. "Do not insult Stoppable-san. Insults to my team members will have negative repercussions."

"Well how about I insult you, instead."

"Insults directed at me by former terrorist's have no meaning."

Shego screamed, "Terrorist?! I'll show you terror."

What happened next only took a split second. Shego flared her hands dropping into an aggressive combat stance. The instant her hands lit up, Sousuke and Kaname both produced pistols and dropped shoulder-to-shoulder using the wall as a base to protect them on that side and they each took 90 degrees of arc.

Kaname had hers aimed down, yet at the ready, while Sousuke's was pointed straight at the former villains. Surprisingly, she wasn't looking at the threats in front of Sousuke. Instead, she was scanning in front of herself. Sousuke had trained her well.

In the meantime, Kim and Ron dove in opposite directions out of the line of fire, rolling into defensive postures. Both had seen the reactions and reflexes of the Japanese couple and wanted nothing to do with being caught in a crossfire between them and a furious Shego. Shego was wound a lot tighter than usual for some reason. But what surprised them was Drakken.

He slapped a button on a console causing a shield to pop up between the antagonists. "Let's all just calm down." Looking at the Japanese couple, he said, "I'll deal with you in a minute young man." Back to the furious Shego. "Now Shego, calm down. You've been moody all week. Why, I have no idea, but you have been. But they are guests, so please control yourself." Hearing her growl, he asked again. "Please?"

Shego visibly took control of herself and lowered her hands, extinguishing the flames. Once the plasma was out he touched another control and shield dropped, then from nowhere a ball of orange goop slammed into Sousuke and Kaname, pinning them to the wall, with part of it covering Sousuke's mouth.

He advanced on the pinned pair, snarling, "And as for you, the next time you pull a gun on Shego in our home, you'd better shoot first and fast. Because you won't get a second chance. Now why don't you hang around there and cool off. The binding agent will dissolve in about ten minutes."

As Drew walked away he heard the growling girl tell the wide eyed boy, "The only reason I'm not going to pummel you is you were trying to defend Stoppable-san."

Drakken approached the American pair. "Since I'm not really ready to talk to your friends, maybe you should explain what the hell is going on. And what did he mean by 'his team members'. I thought the two of you were a team."

Kim looked sad when she said, "We kinda broke up."

"What?! Now why would you go and do an idiotic thing like that?"

Ron muttered, "Wasn't my idea."

Drakken looked back and forth between Kim and Ron saying, "I never thought I'd say this, but you seem to be the more intelligent one, Stoppable. Is that why you're on his team now."

Kim was growling and started to retort when Ron placed a hand on her shoulder, pausing her. "We're on a mission with him. One of the conditions was is that he's in command, another was the haircut."

Shego was confused and asked. "What the hell kinda mission has you getting a buzz as a condition?"

Looking at Sousuke, he saw the look and asked, "Part of it? No names?" After he had kept the secret of the Yamanouchi school for so long, Sousuke trusted Ron enough to only reveal what he had to and nodded.

Seeing the team leader's nod, he continued. "We're going to be undercover escorting someone for G.J."

"What, a prisoner?"

"No. Someone who was killed fighting in the Middle East. A KIA. We're escorting them home to the rest of their family. And that's all I can tell you about it." Shego took it like a punch to the gut.

She was stammering when she said, "I, I, I'm sorry, Ron. It was out of line." She might have been Evil (Reformed), but there were some things you didn't joke about.

"Don't worry about it. You didn't know and were being your usual sarcastic self." Ron put on his goofy grin, "If you didn't insult me, that's when I'd be worried."

Drakken asked with a shake of the head to indicate the gooped pair. "Alright, so who are they?"

Ron pointed each of them out, saying, "Drew 'Dr Drakken' Lipsky and Shego. Ya know, I never heard what your real name was Shego. Sherry, Shelia, Shirley, Shana." He started ticking names off on his fingers. "Am I getting close here? Kim, do you know any other 'S H' girl names?"

"Ron, in the now!"

"Huh? Oh yeah. Anyway, this is Staff Sergeant Sousuke Sagara and Chidori Kaname-san. He tends to be a little touchy about some things." When the former villains heard the name Sagara, they looked at each other, then at Kim. She nodded, conforming his identity.

"We really just stopped off here on our way to the mission." He looked over at the gooped Motor Ed and asked, "How long till he's back with us? I really don't wanna have to go over this again."

"Well the bonding agent should be wearing off in a few minutes. And knowing Edward's hard head, he'll be around before then."

Ron cocked a thumb at the Japanese pair. "Any chance of getting them unstuck?"

Drakken crossed his arms and sported one of his trademark toothy grins, "None! I actually developed the bonding agent to capture the two of you. I figured that ten minutes would be enough time to make sure you two were secure.

"Great. So I guess we wait. I'll be right back. I gotta return the deposit on that Grande sized Slurpster I got before we left."

After Ron left the room, Shego wandered over to Sousuke. "The only reason I'm not gonna light you up is for Stoppable. You were sticking up for him and I can respect that." She looked at him appraisingly, "So, I hear you're the one that handled Gauron." Sousuke lunged against the goop with a growl. "You are touchy. Relax, that was good work." She could see the question in his eyes. "Look Dirty Harry, there's some people the world's better off without and he was one of 'em. So I'm not being sarcastic when I say, 'Good Work'."

Shego reached up and carefully started to pull the goop away from his mouth. It would have taken longer to get free then just waiting out the stuff. Pulling it off wasn't a painless process, but Sousuke endured it with his normal stoicism. Once his face was exposed, she asked, "But what about Gates? I heard you were the one to finish that lunatic off as well."

Technically, Sousuke might have been in Command, but when it came to dealing with Team Possible foes, Sousuke was trying, he was really trying to take his cue's from Possible-san and Stoppable-san. He looked at Kim with a question in his eyes. "Go ahead, Sergeant."

"According to the reports from Intelligence, he was the leader of a platoon of Venom type A.S.'s. I fought them in Hong Kong. The lead machine was the last one I destroyed. From its actions and the communications intercepts, we believe he was the pilot when it exploded."

They were interrupted by a groaning from Ed. "What happened? Seriously?"

Drakken had his hands clasped behind his back as he approached his cousin. His tone was almost murderous, "Edward, because you're family, I will give you one last warning. Leave Shego alone. She is not interested in you other than as a sparring dummy. And we can see the results of that. If you bother her again, I won't stop her. And then you **will** answer to me."

A vine sprouted from his neck, raced across the room and grabbed a filing cabinet repeatedly smashing it against the floor as it crushed it. Ed's eyes went wide in shock. Then the vine came back, grabbed Motor Ed around the throat and ever so slightly squeezed. "Do we understand one another?" The only thing Ed could do was nod vigorously. "Good, you should be free in another minute or so. Once our guests are free, we can find out what this is all about."

**********

A few minutes later, Ron had returned from his bathroom break and Sousuke and Kaname dropped to the floor. Soon everyone was seated at one of Drakken's huge conference tables. Drakken wasn't happy about giving up the head of the table, but they needed the oversized monitor behind it for Wade

Ron asked a question to confirm something. "I've been told you're Jew. That true?"

Drakken was about to get angry when he remembered something. Ron's religion. When he remembered he settled down and answered, "Yes. Not really a practicing one, but, yes. Why?"

"Motor Ed, what about you?"

"Yeah, I don't go to temple a lot, though. Mom gets torqued at me for not going, but I'm usually too busy trying to trick out my ride's. Seriously!"

"You ever heard of the National Socialist's?"

"That's not funny, Buffoon!"

Ron dropped his bomb. "I'm not trying to be funny. A few days ago, Senor Senior Senior called me to his place. He gave me some information and suggested that I let you guys know about it. Dr. Director said the same thing after I told her what he said."

By the time Ron and Wade were done, both Drakken and Ed were in shock. They didn't want to believe it. Especially when Ron suggested they join forces to fight them.

For some reason Shego was getting more upset then the Lipsky brothers. "Come on Dr. D, let's go have a chat." Shego dragged Drakken from the room into the kitchen.

Ed followed them because he wanted to hear what they had to say and for once in his life he knew enough to shut up and listen. He was silent in the face of the brewing fight between the two. As inane as he might have been in the past, he had seen the haunted eyes and the numbers tattooed on the arms of older relatives. He'd already made his decision. _'That little dude is gonna get the best, the very best that Motor Ed can give him, seriously!_'

Shego was of a different mind, "Drew Lipsky, we're NOT getting involved. Is that clear?"

QUIET SHEGO!" stunned by both the volume and tone, Shego fell silent. Drakken was silent for a moment, but when he started talking, his voice sounded like it was coming from the bottom of a grave. "Seventy-five years ago, people said 'We're not getting involved.' or 'It's not our concern.' and 'But it's not here.'. They even said, 'It's just the Jews.'. And over six **million** of us were raped and experimented on and tortured and sent into 'showers' that were really gas chambers or tossed into the ovens, **alive**."

Drakken pointed at the door the team had left through, snarling, "We may have fought Stoppable and his girlfriend the last few years," Drakken was done calling the young man a Buffoon. "But these **animals** are worse than the aliens, because they're supposed to be human. In a way you're right, 'we' might not be getting involved, and Edward can speak for himself. But I AM going to help Stoppable. And there's nothing you say or do to stop me."

"I think I'm pregnant."

Drakken just froze for a moment then blinked. He scratched his forehead and asked, "You… You think your pregnant? Since when?"

"Maybe a couple of weeks. I'm late, and I've **never **been late. My cycle's always been like clockwork."

Drakken was starting to get a goofy grin that would put Ron's best to shame. "Hehe, so… I'm going to be a Daddy? Hehe, SHEGO, this is OUTSTANDING!"

Shego's jaw nearly hit the floor. Drew Lipsky had just shocked her beyond belief. She would have bet money that his first question would have been 'Is it mine?' Before they had gotten together, she had made no secret of her vacation trips to the "spas", or what she did there. She had even started to build up a head of steam to retaliate for the question. Instead, he was starting to do a jig, chanting "I'm going to be a Daddy, I'm going to be a Daddy, I'm going to be a Daddy"

"SHEGO, this is the best news I've ever had!" He grabbed her in a huge hug and kissed her **soundly**, twirling her around, completely disregarding the fact that his mullet-haired cousin was in the room.

Setting the dazed Shego back down, "We have to find you an OB/GYN tomorrow and make sure!" Her head was in a fog, she had never been kissed like that before. "I'll have to start remodeling part of the lair once we find out if it's a boy or a girl! OH, Shego, do you want to find out or wait until it's born! I'll use neutral colors on the nursery just in case! It'll be my greatest masterpiece, EVER! BWAHAHAHAHA!" He threw his head back and raised both clawed hands into the air. "I'm sure that Mother still has my crib somewhere in her attic! I'll call her tomorrow and find out! Oh my! Shego, the child would be born out of wedlock! Do you want to get married! If so we need to start looking for a Rabbi or a Ministmuuuumph!" Drakken was going off on a rant of epic proportions and Shego silenced him the same way he had dazed her. She grabbed him by the lapels of his coat and **kissed **him.

Releasing him she stayed in his arms, "Drew, until this moment, I wasn't sure how I felt about you. I mean, I knew I liked you, even loved you in a way. But right here, just now, I realized, I'm in love with you. Yes, I'll marry you. You're going to be a great Daddy. But I want the kids' Father to be there for them. That's why you can't get involved with Stoppable's mission. Pleeeeaaase!"

Shego had **never** been frightened like she was now. A lot of it was hormonal induced mood swings. But it was also something else. She had never had so much to lose. Not even leaving Team Go and striking out on her own had really scared her, because she knew she could take care of herself. She wasn't really a student of history, but she had heard about the Nazis! And if he joined the coming fight, Drew 'Dr. Drakken' Lipsky, would be a prime target for an enemy that had slaughtered eleven million civilians.

Drakken went somber and stepped away from her. "Shego, ten or twelve years from now, when my child asks me, 'Daddy, what did you do when the Nazi's tried to come back?', I will not say 'Nothing. I hid from them.'. It's even more important now then ever that I help Stoppable. I don't want my child to grow up in a world that they have any kind of control."

He stepped back in and cupped her tear streaked cheeks, "I'm sorry, Shego. But I told you, there's nothing you can say or do to stop me."

She thrust herself into his chest, "Dreeeeew!"

"Shhh."

In a strange fit of insight and compassion, Ed slipped out of the quietly out of the room, leaving them alone.

**********

Because they were only in the next room and hadn't bothered to close the door, back in the conference room everyone clearly heard the conversation. Both Ron and Kim were wearing nearly identical 'UGGGGHHHH' faces on hearing that Shego was going to be a mother and Drakken was the father. Ron was muttering "Sick and Wrong, Sick and Wrong, that is WrongSick!"

"That's too gorchy to think about. It's worse then our parents!"

"You got that right!. Ugghhh, I can see it now, a tiny little turquoise Shego running around blasting things or a Mini-me Drakken gong off on a rant."

"TMI, Ron!"

"Let's just hope they never ask you to baby-sit."

Kim's look went from Ugh to horrified. "No, nonononononono, not in a million years, it was bad enough when Hana started running on the ceiling. The ceiling, Ron. She's your cute little sister. But with those two as parents, it'd be worse then the Wego's or the Tweebs, combined. Not on a bet. Not without some of those neural compliance chips." It was then that what he said really filtered in. 'Let's just hope they never ask you to babysit.' Let's. Maybe there was some hope after all.

Kaname and Sousuke were just watching the freak-out of the other two, heads going back and forth like a weird tennis match. Some of the things Kim had said made no sense. A baby running on the ceiling? Neural compliance chips? And the Wego's?!

Motor Ed returned saying, "They, uh, theeeey wanna be alone for a minute. Seriously! Hey, listen little dude. I'm in. You just tell Motor Ed when and where, and he'll be there."

"Well, we're gonna be based near the campus in Middleton. In the warehouse district."

"Dude, I think Cuz has a place near there. Over near Tool-Warehouse. It's same place that we holed up when we built the Doom-vee. Seriously!"

"Ohhh, the one we took over with a video game controller! I remember that one. Ya know, it's a shame we had to trash it. That was a pretty badical ride. Dude, you should see the wheels Sagara built. A 69 GTO with a 500 CID big block, full armor, everything from oil slicks to spike-strips and an A.I."

"WHOA!, Seriously?" Ed looked at Sousuke who was wearing a look that could only be smug.

"Oh yeah, and wait till you see the one I'm working on. A 64 Galaxie 4-door with a 428 Cobra-Jet."

"DUDE! That was one sweet ride. And definitely an awesome motor! The Kepler rockets were awesome, but you just can't beat the sound of a big block V-8 with a three-quarter cam. RUMRUMRUMRUM."

Kim was starting to get worried. Ron was already beginning to be a gear-head. Sousuke was a lost cause. Tossing Motor Ed into the mix could have serious repercussions.

The three guys started talking about the pros and cons of turbochargers versus superchargers. Well, mostly Ed and Ron, with an occasional comment from Sousuke. Kaname just watched with an indulgent smile. Kim stepped beside her and asked, "Doesn't this worry you?"

"No, it's better then them talking about and ogling girls."

"You don't know Motor Ed! He once broke Shego out of prison and stole my Dad's rocket just to build a car to cruise across America at hyper speeds with a 'Hot Babe' sitting beside him. The man is ferociously whacked. Of course the plan blew up in his face when he called Shego an accessory. Like she was air-conditioning or something. She really let 'em have it after that."

Kaname just watched the large blonde man through narrowed eyes.

**********

A few minutes later Drakken and Shego returned. Everyone could see the puffy eyes from her crying, but no one dared comment about them. Drakken agreed with Ed about the location in Middleton and said he would meet the team there in a week to ten days. Ron had Wade transfer the data from Senior to Drakken in the hopes that he could get more from the information.

One of the things that was worrying Wade was he was starting to see traces of supposedly secure G.J. information in the Senior data. Not a lot, but more then there should be. It seemed to point to a mole inside G.J.. Wade wasn't sure enough about it to mention it to Kim and Ron or Dr. Director. But it was one of the reasons he was happy to let Drakken have a look. As erratic as he could be, Drakken had been known to have flashes of brilliance from time to time, and maybe he could verify Wade's findings. For now though Wade sat on his conclusions until he could get verification.

But once he knew for sure, he wasn't going to play nice. Wade had proven just how not nice he could be. Just ask Team Impossible. Wade hadn't been angry when Team Impossible had spiked his system. It was the fact they thought they could do it with impunity and just get away with it. Wade hadn't been mad, he'd been insulted

And no one insulted Wade Load.


	15. Of Meetings and Toasts

Shouts to both of my Betas. You know who they are Sentinel103 and CajunBear73. I especially want to thank Sentinel for his plug in the latest chapter of Separate Lives. You guys rock

Chapter 15 Of Meetings and Toasts

Enroute to Merida Island

16:00 Hours Local

05:00 Zulu

True to her word Kaname gave Ron the shotgun position after they took off from Drakken's lair in the Caribbean. The fact she got to snuggle with Sousuke had nothing to so with her content smile. As the Sloth got closer to the base and made ready to land on the Merida Island field, Sousuke and Ron had traded places in the car so Sousuke could get to the built-in radio.

Fifty miles out they were intercepted by a wing of Mithral modified AV-8B Harrier Jump Jets. Two of the planes took positions to the left and right while the other pair were flying about 1000 meters back both above and below them. Looking out the windows, Team Possible started to become a little nervous because these aircraft were obviously carrying live ordinance with orders to splash anything that violated the island's airspace. These guys weren't playing around.

After landing, they were met by a Follow-Me truck with it's distinctive checkerboard sign on the back. They were led to a hangar containing more AV-8B's and several newly acquired A-10 Thunderbolts, along with a squad of hard looking men in body armor and weapons on body slings. Even if they let go, the assault rifles they had would still be attached to the Soldier.

They didn't have the weapons aimed at them, but Kim and Ron had no doubts that they could have them in action in a split second. These guys were NOT Dementor's hired Henchmen or part of Drakken's goon squad. These were Soldiers and the difference was obvious. These men had trained to act as one and would not hesitate the shoot them if they weren't who they were suppose to be. They weren't even an Honor Guard. This was a Ready Reaction Force, prepared to lay a serious hurt on an Enemy.

Once they were stopped, Sousuke said, "Wait here." and opened the door. He stepped out of the Sloth and approached the waiting squad. As he got closer he was recognized by the team leader, Staff Sergeant Zimmer.

"Sagara! You dog, what are you doing back here? I thought you'd been sent to the States."

"I was. My detail and I are here for Escort duty."

Mithral used the term 'Escort duty' for one thing. If it was for a living person, it was always 'prisoner escort' or 'VIP escort' or some variation. But the blank 'Escort' meant one thing and one thing only. When the men heard Sousuke, they instantly snapped to 'Attention' and the best semblance of 'Port Arms' they could.

"Sergeant, if there is any assistance my team and I can offer, it would be an Honor."

"Thank you Sergeant. We are to report to Captain Testarossa immediately. Do you know where she is?"

"She should be in the command shack outside the Da Danaan."

"Could you have our gear sent to our quarters?"

"Be glad to Sergeant." He looked at the rest of the squad. "Harrison, Turner. Fall out and bring those jeeps around, drop one of the jeeps to Sergeant Sagara, then both of you take the bags to the VIP quarters and unload, report back to the squad bay after that. The rest of you men, fall out and head to the squad bay."

Staff Sergeant Zimmer looked back at Sousuke, "You're being bunked in the guest quarters over by the Da Danaan's dock. You know where, right?"

Sousuke answered, "Affirmative, thank you, Sergeant." and walked back to the Sloth. The rest of the team started exiting the car as a pair of old fashioned jeeps pulled up. Sousuke and Ron passed the bags to one and the driver of the other said, "Here ya go, Sergeant. Just drop it off over at the hangar when you leave. Alright?"

"Roger, Specialist."

The two heavily armed men climbed in and it left for the VIP quarters.

Kim and Ron looked at each other. They were definitely not on some freelance or GJ base. And Kim's suspicion that Sagara would take charge if the sitch required it, was confirmed. Sousuke sat back into the passenger seat again and got clearance for the Sloth to leave and return to the garage on autopilot. Kim set the Sloth to autopilot, pushed the key fob to activate it and the car tore down the runway and took off at a high angle for a sub-orbital return.

The team boarded the jeep and Sousuke drove them to the docks on the far side of the island. They arrived at the dock to see a huge sleek shape sitting in the cavernous underground dock. Ron only had one thing to say. "Whoa."

Kim was a little more eloquent "What is that?"

A gruff voice behind them said, "That is the TDD-1, the _Tuatha de_ Danaan. She was designed by her Captain Teletha Testarossa and she's the most advanced assault landing submarine on the planet."

Sousuke turned and saluted. "Commander Mardukus."

The tall almost bird-faced man returned the salute saying, "You know, Sergeant, you technically don't have to salute me anymore."

"That would be disrespectful, Sir. You've earned it by both your rank and time in service."

Mardukus looked over the rest of the group and said, "It's good to see you again Miss Chidori. Sergeant, who are the rest of your people?"

"Sir, this is Stoppable-san and Possible-san of Team Possible. Stoppable-san, Possible-san, this is Commander Richard Mardukus. The _de_ Danaan's XO." Neither Kim nor Ron felt like trying to correct him about the status of the team.

"Well, I heard a bit about you two. I'd like to thank you. You saved us from having to take out that blue skinned mad man and those aliens."

Both Kim and Ron were surprised to hear that. Kim asked, "You had a plan to stop Drakken?"

"Yes, we did."

"But how, the military was caught and couldn't do anything."

"That, young lady, is why we carry Tomahawks and SLBM's. I doubt seriously if he could have stood against a nuclear strike."

Kim and Ron both looked at the old Warrior with horrified expressions. Ron stuttered a question. "Yoyoyoyou're joking right?" At the time of the Diablo sitch, they had no idea they were in the crosshairs of a nuke.

"No sir, I'm quite serious. If it was a choice between the five square miles around his headquarters or allowing him to take over the world. We weren't about to let that happen."

Kim almost didn't want to ask the next question. "What about the aliens?"

"Same thing. If that failed, our plan was to have the ARX7 launched inside a missile body to just outside of the site and have Sergeant Sagara self-destruct within 10 meters of the aliens."

The Americans looked aghast at the blank-faced Sousuke to see him standing there like they were talking about whether or not to have tea or coffee for dinner. Kaname had shimmering eyes because she knew that he would have done it. The invasion was one of the times she really thought he was going to die.

"But thanks to the two of you, both of those actions were avoided."

"How can you stand there and casually talk about setting off nuclear weapons?"

"There's nothing casual about it, Ma'am. But we have a responsibility to the world at large, not any one region, nation or individual. If it's a choice between a city or the world, the world wins. We do everything we can to avoid the options. That's why Mithral isn't nationally based. We don't answer to any one government. In the end, we answer to humanity, to history. In 50 or a 100 years when historians look back on us and our actions, we can only hope that they look upon us with honest eyes."

Kim suddenly realized where Sagara learned to be so ruthless and she just couldn't wrap her mind around it. The sacrifice required was more than mind-boggling. The concept that you should, not could, but should sacrifice people to save more was as incomprehensible to her as Mandarin Chinese.

Ron was a little better off then Kim. He knew about sacrifices, more then she did. The kind of sacrifices one had to make to protect others. And strange as it might sound, all of the online strategy gaming he had done had shown him that sometimes you have to make unwanted sacrifices to win. There had been more than one occasion when he had been forced to send a part of his forces to make a stand and be killed while he flanked his virtual enemies. As empathic as Ron was, it wasn't hard for him to imagine they were real men being sent on a suicide mission to save the rest of his electronic forces. It had also taught him about preserving his forces as much as he could. Yes, as strange as sounded, Ron Stoppable was much more aware of sacrifice then his ex was.

Sousuke interrupted the thoughts of the two them with, "Commander, we were to report to Captain Testarossa upon arrival. Do you know where she is?"

"This way, Sergeant." He turned and started towards a small building near the gangway leading to the sub. "How are you settling in at your new posting, Sergeant?"

"Quite well, Commander. Thanks to Miss Chidori, the living quarters are nearly complete and the rest is coming along. Once we complete our duty to LT Wiseman, I expect it will only take a few more days to finish."

"Good. Sergeant, I know we didn't always see eye to eye, but you've done very well for yourself. Just don't let your guard down. We've been seeing some disturbing reports from Intelligence. There was a really strange one from Northern Japan a day or so ago about a group of mercenaries digging around some old temple dedicated to the worship of something called the Yono. It didn't make any sense because they shot their way out when the Japanese police tried to ask them some questions."

Both Kim and Ron stiffened at the mention of the Yono. Ron broke in asking, "The Yono, are you sure about that?"

Mardukus turned and said, "Yes, Mr. Stoppable, quite sure. Do you know something about it?"

"You might say that. Both of us do. We had to fight it about five months ago. It nearly killed everybody there. It took Monkey Fist as a sacrifice after its defeat."

"Monkey Fist?"

"Yeah, he used to called Monty Fiske. He had some really strange illegal gene splicing work done to give him monkey hands and feet. Uuuggghh!" Ron shuddered.

"Monty Fiske? Lord Montgomery Fiske?"

"That's him."

"But he was one of the most respected academics in the Commonwealth. What happened?"

"I don't know about respected, but the man was totally whacked. All I know is, when I met him I knew he was 500 miles of bad road. But nobody wants to listen to the Ronster." He looked pointedly at Kim when he said it. She had the decency to blush, because Ron was right. He had told her within five minutes of meeting the 'Respected archeologist' that the man was bad news.

"I heard he dropped out of sight a few years ago, but no one knew what happened to him."

"Well the last we seen of him, he'd been turned into a stone statue and dragged underground by the Yono. If you go to the Kim Possible website, you can check out the mission logs."

"I think I just might. It's curious though, why would someone be trying to dig up a stone statue of a dead man?"

Ron looked the officer in the eyes and said, "Who said he was dead?" Mardukus paled at the thought of being turned into a living statue.

Kim broke in saying, "They may not be trying to get Fiske back. Wade had a report that DNAmy was dragging the statue around. Maybe they want the Yono instead. Sir, do you think we could get that report forwarded to our tech guy? He might be able to make more out of it than your people. We're a little more used to weird sitch's than most. And if someone is trying to bring back either Monkey Fist or the Yono, then we might have to stop them again."

Ron growled, almost under his breath, "Oh I'll stop 'em alright." Mardukus was looking at Kim and missed it. But Kim had glanced at Ron just as he said it and she saw his eyes flash blue for just a second. "If he tries to go after my sister again, I'll stop 'em. One way or another." Ron was also wearing his serious face.

Kim gulped. She had seen that face a few times. 'Ron in the clutch.' Twice at Wannaweep, all the times he had faced Monkey Fist, the Yono, the night of the Diablo's and most recently the invasion by Warhok and Warmonga. She knew Ron was through playing with Fiske. He was one of the most dangerous people on the planet now. A blooded Warrior whose family was threatened. Somehow she knew the next time the two met would be the last. She could only hope Ron would remain sane when it happened.

Sousuke got them back on track, "Commander, the Captain?"

"Miss Possible, ask the Captain about the report, she can send it to your agent."

"Please and Thank You, Sir."

"This way Sergeant."

They were led to an office inside the building to see a head bent over a desk, with one hand rubbing her temples and the other holding the phone. "You're not hearing me _Lieutenant_ Commander. My people might have to be deployed at sea for six months or more. I will not have them eating combat rations except in an emergency. I don't care about some bean counters budget. You will get me the supplies I need or I will have you counting paperclips at the Sydney Headquarters. Is that clear?"

Kim and Ron were instantly reminded of Tara. From the platinum blond hair to the contralto voice. The difference in the voice was the note of command that never entered their former cheerleader teammate. But the hair and voice was where the similarities ended. Where Tara had curves many a woman would either kill or have surgery for, this girl was slender and petite, yet with the same pale clear complexion that spoke of time spent indoor, or underwater considering the submarine outside.

She looked up and saw the group entering. At the sight of her friends she grew a huge smile and said, "Look Lieutenant Commander, I have other things on my desk today besides arguing with you about the fresh fruits and vegetables I need before we castoff. Just get me those supplies. Out."

She hung up the phone and bolted towards the group grabbing Kaname, then Sousuke in a hug with a bubbly Tara-like, "Kaname-san, Sagara-san, I'm glad you're here."

"It's good to see you too Tessa." "Madam Captain"

"Now, would you introduce me to your friends?"

Kaname handled the introductions this time. "Tessa, this is Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable, of Team Possible. Kim, Ron, this is our friend Tessa Testarossa."

The three shook hands and Tessa said, "It's a pleasure to finally meet the two of you. I want the personally thank the two of you. You both saved us from having to make a terrible decision on two separate occasions."

Kim and Ron looked each other then back at the diminutive young officer. Kim asked her, "Would you have really launched?"

The bubbly Tara-like personality was gone, leaving behind a grey-eyed hardened little Warrior. "Yes, both times we had already removed the safety interlocks from Dana's nuclear weapons and entered the coordinates. On the second occasion, I had Sergeant Sagara standing by with Arbalest inside a SLBM body just in case."

Ron gulped, "You people really don't play, do you?"

"Not when it comes to protecting the world from tyrants and thugs. You have to understand Mr. Stoppable, we're not a police force like Global Justice. Their mission is to capture and hold criminals for prosecution. Ours is to eliminate a threat to world safety by any means necessary."

She moved back to her chair at the desk and changed from a hard-eyed Warrior to a somber Senior officer. "Now then, Sergeant, about why you're here." Sousuke instantly snapped to Attention and a few seconds later the other three realizing that she was about to talk the Escort duty snapped to as well.

"Tomorrow, at 15:00 hours, you and your detail will report to the A.S. hangar in dress uniform. LT Wiseman is there now. She is being watched over by an Honor Guard. Her remains are currently covered by the Mithral Shield and Sword. At 15:30 hours, custody of LT Wiseman will be transferred to you. At that time, there will be a small ceremony and the Shield and Sword will be removed and replaced with the Stars and Stripes. You and your detail then board a Mithral undercover aircraft for transport to the United States. Your aircraft will be one of our surplus C-130's and will land at Guam, then LAX for refueling."

"At neither of these stops will you have to deplane. Your destination will be the Global Justice Base in Middleton. While you are on the ground at LAX you are to call ahead and inform G.J. of your arrival time. After you arrive in Middleton, you will deplane with LT Wiseman and have an overnight layover. The following morning, she will be transferred to a GJ hoverjet that will take you to the Global Justice base in Butte, Montana. At Butte, LT Wiseman will be transferred to a hearse. You and your detail will follow the hearse by car to her home of record, Porters Corner. Both the hearse and the car are already prepared and will be standing by on your arrival. Your duty to LT Wiseman will not end until she has been passed to her Next of Kin, her younger sister."

"From the time you take custody, you will be in dress uniform at all times, except for scheduled sleep shifts. She is to be attended at all times unless she is in a secure area, such as a secured cargo area. You do not have to remain at Attention or Parade Rest, you may sit and read, converse with others, even use a laptop to study or watch a movie. But the person on duty will remain in the presence of LT Wiseman until relieved."

"Any time she is transferred, she is to be moved feet first and you will render Honors. A bearer detail will be provided at each transfer location so that you able to render the Honors. If any of you wish, you may remain after custody is transferred to the Next of Kin for the interment. The uniform for the interment will be Mess Dress with covers. Do you have any questions as to your mission, Sergeant?"

"No Ma'am."

"Good." Then she came from behind the desk and like flipping a switch, the teen-age girl returned, "Come on. Despite what I told that idiot on the phone, I'm nearly done for the day. The rest can wait. Let's get you settled. There's a small party tonight." She looked at Sousuke and Kaname, "Melissa and Kurz are here. I'm sorry Sousuke, but Lieutenant Commander Kalinin is in Sydney for the next few days."

"It's not a problem, Madam Captain."

"Sousuke, am I your friend?"

"Of course."

"Well, you're not under my command any more. So please call me Tessa."

"Very well Tessa-san."

She grabbed his and Kaname's hands heading to the door. "Well I suppose that's a start. Come on."

**********

Tessa led them to a bungalow just outside the entrance to the underground docks. It had two bedrooms with two full sized beds each, a large living room, a small kitchenette and a screened in porch that wrapped around three sides of the building. Tessa left them with instructions to meet at the base club around 20:00 hours. They all caught a few hours sleep, then showered and changed and Sousuke drove them to the club.

The place was like most any rec club on a ground forces base. There was a bar serving drinks and DJ booth and a juke box in one corner with a small stage in front of the dance floor that had various instruments ranging from an old synthesizer keyboard and a set of drums to a couple types of guitars. The instruments all had the look of having been used by more then one player.

There was more than 60 or 70 people inside the club doing the things people do in such a place. Drinking, talking, shooting billiards or throwing darts or even trying their hand at an ancient pinball machine. There was the hubbub of voices through the place that made for a strange form of privacy because the overlapping voices made it hard to overhear another conversation.

They found Tessa sitting with Kurz and Melissa and, surprisingly, Commander Mardukus at a set of tables in one corner that had been placed to make for a single large circle with an opening at one end. It was big enough for ten or even more if they wanted to get cozy.

All four had some kind of beverage in front of them and when she saw the newcomers Tessa signaled the server. After everything that happened, Kim and Ron were still a bit uncomfortable around each other in a social setting and sat on either side of Sousuke and Kaname, paired by gender. The seating arrangements had placed Ron beside Tessa and Kim on the other side near Kurz, with Mao beside him and the Commander sitting at his usual spot beside Tessa. Once everyone was settled the server took their orders. Kim and Ron asked for sodas and were shocked when Sousuke and Kaname both ordered Japanese beers.

Just before she left to place the orders at the bar, Mardukus called the server over and signaled her closer. He whispered "Absent Companions" in her ear and the server looked first at the head of the table, then at everyone sitting there for a second. She said, "You got it." and headed to the bar.

Kaname introduced Kim and Ron to Kurz and they met Melissa in person. They talked for a bit with Kaname filling the Mithral personnel in on what she and Sousuke had been up to for the last few days. Kim and Ron noticed a strange ripple going through the room. The other servers were moving rapidly through the room stopping at each table and group for a few seconds, saying something and moving to the next. The conversation level never dropped, but for some reason, everyone was suddenly heading to the bar for refills . The bartender was filling shot glass after shot glass and setting them for people to pick up.

When the server returned, her tray was fully loaded. She passed through the opening to the inside of the circle and placed the beers and sodas in front of the newcomers and then set a shot glass full of an amber colored liquid in front of everybody. There was a single chair and a place set at the head of the table inside the circle that the civilians didn't notice until the server set an empty shot glass there, upside down, then she quickly exited the circle and headed back to the bar. Kim and Ron looked at each other then back around the group. They could see that Kaname didn't know what was going on, but the Combat Veterans did.

Tessa as the ranking officer stood, picked up her glass and held it slightly in front of her. When she did so Mardukus, Mao, Kurz, and Sousuke were right behind her. Something strange happened. The rest of the room went absolutely, utterly silent. It was so quiet, they could even hear the slight buzz of one of the fluorescent light behind the bar thirty feet away and the humming of a water fountain near the bathrooms. Kim, Ron and Kaname looked around to see EVERYONE on the room standing and holding a shot glass looking in the direction of their table, including all the servers and the bartender.

Tessa looked at the still seated trio and silently gestured with her shot glass. They realized that everyone was looking at the empty place setting, holding their glasses in a form of salute. They took the hint and stood picking up the shot glass in front of them.

Once the civilians were ready, Tessa waited one minute. Even Ron, as random as he could be, knew there was something very solemn happening and remained silent. Then in a clear ringing voice, Tessa said, "To absent companions." Her words were echoed by the rest of the club and everyone quaffed the glass.

Being Japanese, Kaname was used to alcohol, but Kim and Ron weren't. And they were so caught up in the moment, the thought of not drinking never entered their minds. The single malt scotch felt like liquid fire and it was only the thought of preventing embarrassment that allowed them to maintain their composure. It was a very close thing though.

As long as they had been around newbie drinkers, Melissa, Kurz and Mardukus knew what they were going through. They were wearing sly grins and Mao said, "Well I think that's enough for the two of you tonight."

Kim was breathing deeply and Ron pounded his chest, coughing slightly and wheezed, "What do expect, we underage."

Mao got serious and said, "You might be underage in the States, but you're not here. You're old enough to risk getting killed fighting bad guys, you're old enough to have a few drinks. I'm not saying you should get hammered every day. But if you wanna have beer or two, knock yourselves out. Besides with your metabolisms I'll bet the two of you can have a beer an hour all night and still stay sober."

Kim said, "Think I'll stick to soda, Please and Thank You." Sousuke immediately reached across Kaname and put the keys to the jeep in front of her.

Ron on the other hand looked around, seeing a stein of Lager in front of Mao, Kurz with a bottle of strong German beer, the two Japanese teen with their beers, the stern Mardukus had his Guinness and there was even a fruity girly drink in front of Tessa.

"Ya know, think I'll have a beer myself."

Kim was on it instantly, "RON!"

"What?" He gestured at Melissa. "Like she said, we're not in the U.S. When in Rome and all that. It's not like we have to drive anywhere." Ron looked around and asked Sousuke, "What do you recommend, Dude?"

Sousuke was a little wide-eyed at being but on the spot. "Stoppable-san, my experience with alcoholic beverages is far from extensive and I refrain from excess. I suggest you ask either Mao. Kurz or Commander Mardukus."

"All right, what about you three?"

The Mithral people glanced from each other to their disparate drinks. Melissa said, "Why don't you stick with an American brand for now."

Kurz had an agenda though. "Naw, babe. My friend, if you're going get in the water, jump in with both feet. Try out the EKU 28 or they even have Samichlaus Bier in bottles." he snapped his fingers, saying, "Ya know, I think they even have a few bottles of Kuhnhenn Dark Heathen Triple Bock " Weber was drinking a Augustiner Bräu Heller Bock.

Mao was aghast, "Weber, are you out of your mind?!"

Mardukus shot him down with, "I think the young man should stick with something a little lighter than a **doppelbock**, _Sergeant_ Weber. We don't need him getting three sheets to the wind before his mission tomorrow. Mr. Stoppable, I'll buy your first. A Live Oak Hefe-Weizen."

"Aw come on, Commander. That stuffs like water, barely qualifies as a beer. Only like 8 proof."

"Precisely, it's an excellent tasting beer with a low alcohol content for a novice drinker. It's a superb summer beer especially if we decide to adjourn to the patio later on." He pointed outside the windows to a large screened in porch. "Also the club just received several cases of it yesterday. The young man was not raised in Germany. This is the end of the discussion, Sergeant Weber. Mr. Stoppable, I believe you'll enjoy it."

"Alright, sounds good. Thanks."

"You're welcome, Mr. Stoppable."

"Dude, please call me Ron. You call me 'Mr. Stoppable', and I start having flashbacks of the vice-principal in high school."

"It would be a pleasure."

**********

Commander Mardukus left shortly after the toast and the night progressed with Ron carefully sipping his beer while Kim glowered at him from time to time. Kim was so caught up in her glower she didn't really catch what Tessa said when she offered her a special house tea. Kim accepted without thought.

Just before he left, Ron commented to the normally stern Mardukus. "Dude, except for the slight taste of bananas, this isn't bad. Thanks!"

"You're quite welcome, young man. I have informed the barkeep that yours and Miss Possible's drinks tonight are on my tab as a thank you seeing to it that we didn't have to launch. Ladies, Gentlemen, Madam Captain, if you will excuse me. I have rounds to make before I turn in for the evening. Good Night!" He left before either Kim or Ron could object.

Things really started to get interesting when Tessa, not so subtly, started flirting with Ron. By now Ron had had a few beers and was feeling a slight buzz. He remembered the same feeling from when his Uncle Roger had got him drunk a few months ago, so he tapered off his intake by switching to sodas for a while. He didn't want a hangover again. But the buzz he was feeling was enough to let him start running off at the mouth a bit.

Tessa was almost cooing at him "I understand you played football in high school. Were you any good?" Ron naturally completely missed the tone. Kim on the other hand DID NOT.

"Oh yeah! I broke, like I don't know how many state records. Most yardage, most carries, most yards per carry, most touchdowns by a single player in a season, most touchdowns in a game. Ya know, I even promised my girlfriend at the time I'd get her a touchdown for every month we'd been dating. At the time it was five months."

"Did you make it?"

"Oh hell yeah! They called me Unstoppable Stoppable."

"But how'd you get to be that good?"

Ron looked blearily at the slightly younger girl and said "Lady believe me, when you've had doom lasers firing at you, Spinning Tops Of Doom trying to smash you, Monkey Ninjas trying to rip you apart and the Goon Squad after you trying to beat you to a pulp, you learn to do two things. Dodge and Run! After that, the defensive lines not that bad." Now Ron might have missed the flirting coming from the girl beside him. But the flirting coming from a male directed at a certain female on the other side of the table was all too obvious.

On the other side of the table another drama was in play. "So you're the famous Kim Possible. Huh? I'm Kurz Weber. How does a beautiful woman like you get to be so good at martial arts?"

Kim was thinking snarky thoughts **'But how'd you get to be that good? **_Grrrr!'_ But she was answering absentmindedly, "Huh? Oh, I don't know, it just comes natural. I see a move and I can copy it."

"Does that only apply to martial arts or does it work for other things?"

"I don't know, I've never tried it!"

Ron was in the same boat as Kim '**OTHER THINGS?**_ rrrrrrrr! What other things you got in mind, blondie? Oh wait, I'm a blond. Mullet-head, naw, that's Motor Ed. Can't call 'em Monkey-boy, that's Mankey. Pretty-boy, that'll work! What other things you got in mind, Pretty-boy'_

Tessa kept cooing "Monkey Ninjas? Spinning Tops Of Doom? You seem to have led a fascinating life! Have you meet many interesting people?"

"Huh, uh yeah, met a few of the richest men in the world. Martin Smarty, Nakasume-san, Senor Senior Senior. Even met Brittina a few times. She's given rides to missions in her plane before."

Sousuke and Kaname had carefully picked up their drinks and moved to the other side of the table with Mao. Kaname made sure to take a seat **between** the two Combat Veterans. They were watching in horror as the drama played out.

Kurz continued to lay on the charm. "Maybe you should think about that. You might be able to do a lot of things you never did before."

'**Fascinating life, **_she said._ **Interesting people**_, she said. I'll show her something fascinating and interesting, like the bottom of my size six upside her head, rrrrrrr!'_ "Yeah maybe."

"I mean there's a whole world of possibilities there. You seem to have a visual/physical eidetic memory. That's truly remarkable ability."

"I'm just your average typical girl."

'**Things you never did before?**_ Dude, you'd better not even be thinking about what I think your thinking about thinking! What a minute, brain pain! Dude, I'll show you a remarkable ability 'cause I'm about to go full Mystical Monkey on you! Even the aliens didn't get to see what you're going to!'_

If Kurz was laying on the charm, Tessa was spreading honey, "OOOO, Brittina, I think we have some of her music on the juke box."

"That's nice. You know I had a hit song on American Starmaker. The Naked Mole Rap."

And the cooing never ceased, "That was you? I have that song on my MP3 Player!"

'_I'll stick that MP3 player where the sun don't shine!'_ Kim tried to break in to the flirt-fest going on between the clueless and the obvious. Which pair was which was anybody's guess. She held up her glass rattling it and as sweetly as she could she asked, "Tessa, what did you call this again? I'd like to have another." Kim didn't know it, but she was definitely feeling the effects of a Long Island Iced Tea.

Ron might have been clueless as to other girls, but he was an expert in nearly all things Kim. He instantly caught that sickly sweet tone. His head popped up like a prairie-dog's and he went wide-eyed as he thought _'Uh Oh, she's about to lay some smack-down on somebody. We haven't been talking so it's not me. Oh Man, who's she gonna hurt. Oh crap, it's Tessa! But why? I have to de-stress this sitch fast. Besides, it'll get her away from Pretty-boy.' _He stood up and grabbed Kim's hand saying, "Come on, lets dance!"

Kim barely had the chance to set the empty drink down, saying "Dance? Huh? What?"

If they would have been looking back at the table, they would have seen Tessa and Kurz wearing huge grins, bumping knuckles.

Mao asked through gritted teeth, "Are you two out of your minds. She's tough enough that we'd have to call the RRF to subdue her and there's no telling what we'd have to do to stop him. Probably deploy the ASes. What the fuck's wrong with you?"

Tessa told her in a very smug tone, "Relax Melissa, how often do you know one of my plans to fail?"

"A little warning might have been nice, Tessa."

"But you would have just tried to stop us. Besides, it worked! What's the problem?"

"The problem is you nearly gave me a heart-attack." She waved absently towards the couple sitting beside her, "Not to mention you've probably scarred these two for life."

Kaname and Sousuke both looked a little shell-shocked and Kaname stuttered an answer for the two of them, "We're fine, Melissa. But a little warning would be nice next time Tessa. Come on Sousuke, let's dance."

For some reason, all the music that night was slow dancing stuff. Probably because Tessa had ordered everything else taken out of the juke box for the night. Kaname and Sousuke had drifted to a darkened corner and just swayed in each others arms. Sousuke wasn't much for dancing, but he definitely liked holding her in his arms. On the other side of the dance floor, a conversation was happening.

Ron didn't realize what the music was when he grabbed Kim. But now that he was here, his natural stubbornness kicked in. Besides, he wasn't about to let her get back in range of Pretty-boy.

The music forced them to stay close inside each others arms. "I thought you'd rather not be around me like this, Ron?"

"Well it was either this or I let you get in trouble for beating somebody up."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't try to play **me **Kim. After fifteen years, I know when you're about to unleash 16 kinds of Kung Fu on somebody. But why you'd wanna go after a nice girl like her I'll never understand!"

"A nice girl?! Ron couldn't you tell what she was doing?"

"Kim, this is the Ronster here. How often can I tell why girls do anything?

She couldn't argue with that. He had her there. "Ron, she was flirting with you!"

"She was? But why? Never mind that! What about Pretty-boy?"

Kim instantly stiffened, wildly looking around. The only one Ron had ever called Pretty-boy was Syntho-drone 901 AKA Eric. "Pretty-boy? I don't see Eric."

"Eric? I'm not talking about Syntho-dude. I'm talking about der Nordic Vunder-hair."

Kim glanced over at the table and saw everyone talking. She looked back to see Ron glaring at the table and specifically Kurz.

**CLICK!**

He was jealous. He'd called Eric a Pretty-boy and he'd been jealous. Now he was glaring at someone they barely known an hour and calling him Pretty-boy. AFTER said Pretty-boy had been talking to HER! He was jealous.

'_YES!'_ She was doing cartwheels inside her head. But she knew she had to play this hand real soft. "Who, Kurz? He's harmless. Besides, he's old. He has to be at least 23."

"Maybe I ought to show 'em the first 23 strikes of Tai Sheng Pek Kwar."

"Tell ya what, Ron! You don't go all Mystical Monkey on him and I won't try to demonstrate the Top Five Countdown to her. Deal?"

"Rrrrrr, I guess."

'_He's really jealous.'_

After a few more minutes where Kim enjoyed the slow dancing and Ron was glaring at the table, something occurred to Kim. The timing of what happened was strange. She carefully thought back and soon decided that neither Sousuke nor Kaname knew what was happening. The look they were wearing said that. Melissa seemed to be out as well, because she looked furious right now. Mardukus, too stuffy. That left……Kurz and Tessa. She and Ron had been caught in a well coordinated pincer attack, planned by an unlikely pair of conspirators.

After a few more minutes, they returned to the table and picked up their drinks. Sousuke and Kaname were close behind them. There was a slight change in the seating arrangements though. Kim and Ron unconsciously moved in toward Kaname and Sousuke old seats and they traded sides. Now Ron was closest to Kurz and Kim was closest to Tessa. (This could get ugly.)

The server came back and set a new round of drinks in front of the people returning from the dance floor. Kim still hadn't realized what she was drinking and Ron now had a fresh Hefe-Weizen.

Shortly after the server left Tessa excused herself to go to the restroom. Kim was right behind her. After they finished their business Tessa was adjusting her makeup in the mirror and Kim was looking at her with crossed arms.

"You think you're pretty smart don't you?"

"Miss Possible, there is a submarine sitting in the dock that says that. I designed it from the keel up. Including the reactor. I'm a genius. Ask anyone on this base. But that's not what your talking about is it?"

"That little game you and Weber just played. It could have easily backfired."

Tessa had her lip-gloss out and was pursing her lips. "Oh there was very little chance of that."

"I've known Ron for close to 15 years and he's not always the brightest bulb in the box. But he's been my best friend for as long as we can remember. The happiest times of my life have been with him. But I screwed up and lost him. I'm hoping that I can earn his friendship and trust back. But your little game could have messed that up, badly."

"Like I said, there was very little chance of that."

"How can you be so sure?"

Tessa turned and Kim saw the same grey-eyed hardened little Warrior she had seen back in her office earlier. "Miss Possible, last year, I had to re-plan, not plan, but re-plan an operation on the fly with pencil, paper and corrupted communications. The enemy was listening in, while dozens of my people were pinned down in an underground deathtrap. I had to figure out where the enemy was, what their intentions were, and how they intended to do it. Then use my people to stop them, then get out safely. I succeeded, with minimal causalities."

"Planning what would happen between Mr. Stoppable, Sergeant Weber, you and myself was child's play by comparison. Besides, it worked. The two of you looked good out there on the dance floor."

"Let's go, I need to call it a night. I have to get up early tomorrow and get ready to supervise an A.S. training exercise. Why don't you have Sergeant Sagara show you and Mr. Stoppable to the lookout peak around 08:00 hours. It should be a good battle. Melissa and Kurz are acting as OPFOR against the QRF." (Opposing Force Quick Reaction Force)

She left Kim behind in a bemused state wondering just how it had changed from a confrontation to a lecture. She seemed to be getting a lot of those from these Mithral based people.

A.N. The beers Kurz suggested are double or more in alcohol content compared to most American labels. Most American labels run 6-7 percent or 12-14 proof. EKU-28 is 11 percent or 22 proof. Samichlaus Bier 14 percent or 28 proof. Kuhnhenn Dark Heathen Triple Bock 13.5 percent or 27 proof


	16. Let Me Be Your Hero

A.N. Thunderous shouts to Cajunbear73 and Sentinel103 for their rapid response Beta work. Chapter 17 is nearly done, maybe two or three days away so get ready.

_**Hero by Enrique Iglesais, **_I recommend that you listen to the song as you read. You can find it at youtube . com/watch?v=Rn2HIBcirqM Start playing where the lyrics begin.

Chapter 16 Let Me Be Your Hero

Just before she left, Tessa made sure to stop and tell Sousuke to make sure he got the keys back from Kim before they left for the night, as well as reminding Melissa and Kurz about tomorrow's Training Op.

They had moved out to the patio and separated by couple. Sousuke and Kaname had taken a spot on the far side while Kurz and Melissa were sitting near the door. This left Kim and Ron to their own devices on the other side of the patio. Tessa had left word that if the group went out there, the patio was to be given a _wide_ berth.

Kim only had one more Long Island Iced Tea before Ron really looked at the glass. He looked from her to the glass and back again. She was flushed and wearing a slightly giddy smile. Ron told her, "Uh Kim, you might wanna make that the last one of those you have."

"But why? It tastes reeeaaaally good."

_(Whispered) Let me be your hero _

"Do you feel really warm right now?"

Kim's voice went husky and she looked at him with hooded eyes, "Ohhhhh yeah! You have no idea how warm I am!"

"Uh huh, Right! Ya know, I remember what Tessa called that drink. Do you?"

Kim reverted to a little girl voice. "She said it was the house special teeeeea."

"That's not quite what she said. She said it's a Long Island Iced Tea and it was a house specialty. You're just about drunk."

"Noooo, I don't drink. Ya know Ronnie, you look funny with that haircut."

"Thanks Kim! Random much?"

_Would you dance if I asked you to dance?  
Would you run and never look back?  
Would you cry if you saw me crying?  
Would you save my soul tonight?_

Pout time, "Ronnie, I don't mean funny, Haha." Nearly sober now. "I mean different. Ya always had short hair, even when you were using that Le Goop. I like this one better than that foo-foo haircut though. Ya look sexy." Husky voice made a reappearance. "Ya know, you looked reallllly good in those Blues. You were yummy."

Ron had drank enough to have a buzz, but not enough to lose control. Even so, her statement set his cheeks and ears to flaming while her voice sent shivers down his spine.

_Would you tremble if I touched your lips?  
Would you laugh? Oh please tell me this.  
Now would you die for the one you love?  
Hold me in your arms tonight?  
_

She grabbed the front of his shirt, pulled him down slightly until they were nose to nose and said with that same shivery husky, low voice, "Ya know, Ronnie, you don't have to worry about Vunder-hair. I think you're the sexiest man in the building! Why haven't you lost your pants tonight? I wanna see what kinda boxers ya have on."

"OOKaaay, you're not just about drunk, you are drunk."

"So what if I am? What are ya gonna do about it? Spank me?" She turned and offered him her wriggling butt. That shapely firm backside that had fueled more than one of his dreams.

It took a lot of self control. "MMMgggg, don't tempt me Kim. Please."

_I can be you hero baby.  
I can kiss away the pain.  
I will stand by you forever.  
You can take my breath away.  
_

She turned back around and pulled him down nose to nose again. "Ronnie, I'll do whatever it takes to get you back. I want my friend back!" Her voice was starting to break a little, "I want my BFBF back. I want US back. I wanna be able to cuddle again, grab your ears and make kissy face. Go to BN and watch you stuff your face while I roll my eyes. I want you to call me KP again. I messed up and I'm sorry."

"I mean it! Anything! Tell me what I have to do, Ron!" She was looking at him with those emerald eyes that were shining in the tropical moonlight peering through the screening overhead.

"If you were sober, I'd ask you just how serious you are."

_Would you swear that you'll always be mine?  
Would you lie, would you run away.  
Am I in to deep?  
Have I lost my mind?  
I don't care you're here tonight.  
_

Somehow the alcohol had focused her thoughts like a laser beam at the same time it was loosening her tongue and inhibitions. "You want me to show you?" Using her left hand, she grabbed his left hand and placed it on her right breast and held it there while her right went behind his neck. He knew instantly she was sans bra. "I don't need to be sober. You think I haven't thought about trying to seduce you? The only reason I didn't, is I was afraid it would backfire. I mean it when I said anything, Ron!"

_I can be you hero baby.  
I can kiss away the pain.  
I will stand by you forever.  
You can take my breath away.  
_

He tried to pull his hand back, but she pushed against him until his back was against the wall and trapped his hand between them. His hands twitched reflexively and she felt a pulse of pleasure jolt through her causing a moan. "Ohhhhhhh, Kim. If you were sober!"

"I decided when I was sober Ron! Days ago! Whatever it takes! Answer me this. Why were you about to go Mystical Monkey on Kurz? Hmmm?"

"Well, Uhhhh, It's like this!"

She shifted her left for her right holding his hand in place against her breast, grabbed his free right with her left and moved it to her waist. She kept talking with that low husky, smoky voice, "Shut up! You were jealous! Good! So was I! When Tessa started flirting with you, all I could see was green and red! You were the same way. You were jealous, weren't you?"

_I just want to hold you._

_I just want to hold you.  
Am I in too deep?  
Have I lost my mind?  
Well I don't care you're here tonight.  
_

Ron's breath was almost a panting, "Yes."

"No more beating around the bush, Ron! No more games! No he said, she said. Straight honesty. Do you love me?"

"Kim, ya gotta under.."

"Yes or No? No qualifications. I love you. Do you love me?"

Ron didn't know if he was about to cry or cry out. "Yes."

_I can be you hero baby.  
I can kiss away the pain.  
I will stand by you forever.  
You can take my breath away._

"Then lets start to fix US. Right here, right now! Tonight! Please!"

She looked at him with unshed tears. "Ron, you have _never_ failed me. Not when it really counted. EVER! Ron, you're my hero. You've always been afraid of almost everything, but it never stopped you. I'd ask you to do something and you might have been afraid and whined about it. But you did it! For meeeee!" she finished the sentence in a low wail

_I can be you hero.  
I can kiss away the pain.  
I will stand by you forever.  
You can take my breath away._

"And the worst part is, I have let **you** down time and time again. It will Never Happen Again! Please give me another chance!"

He gently removed his hand from her breast and she knew she had to let go. Success or Failure, Victory or Defeat. It all hinged on her willingness to trust him.

_You can take my breath my  
I can be your hero._

Standing there in the tropical night, screened away from the insects buzzing outside with the moon causing everything to glow with a pale monochrome yellow-white, the last of his anger was washed away by the tears gently falling down both of their faces. He raised his hand and cupped her cheek. She nuzzled into his palm as his thumb wiped the tears away.

He lowered his face to hers and as their lips met, her arms wrapped around him in an embrace she never wanted to leave.

**********

For a timeless eternity, they stood there listening to the sound of a tropical night and the quiet tones of the music coming from inside the club. They talked in a murmur about what to do next. Kim was fully willing to take him to her bed. Even anxious to. It was something she wanted and she knew he wanted it to. But he deferred for a couple of reasons. First he wanted them to both have clear heads. Second he wanted to wait and make sure they weren't just doing it in the heat of the moment.

Kim had already made one decision though. Whether or not they made love that night, he was sleeping in her bed tonight. She just needed to get a little help from Kaname, a foregone conclusion there, then convince Ron to share with her. Maybe having Kaname 'accidentally' spill water on her bed would work.

When Sousuke approached them asking for the keys, she passed them over easily. She knew she was drunk, but she wasn't sure if it was the Long Island Iced Teas or if it was the feelings of relief coursing through her.

Just before they left the club Kim 'had to use the bathroom'. She gave Kaname a significant look and the other girl was right behind her. The normally shy, stuttering Kim wasted no time in laying out the sitch. She wanted Ron in her bed tonight, too much to waste time on embarrassment. Kaname was more than willing to jump onboard with her plan.

When they got back the bungalow, Kaname bolted to the bathroom and grabbed the damp towels from her shower earlier and 'laid' them out on her bed. Then for good measure she soaked them down with a glass of water from the bathroom.

She returned to the living room to see Ron passing a couple of ibuprofens from their missions packs and a glass of water to Kim saying, "Preemptive strike. It'll help prevent a hangover in the morning."

When they started heading to the bedrooms, Kaname grabbed Sousuke's arm and said, "I want to sleep with you tonight, Sousuke." She looked at Ron and said. "Do you mind using my bed?"

Ron just shrugged and said, "Sure, no problem."

Ron went into the room and grabbed a T-shirt and shorts to sleep in, while Kaname did the same in the other direction. Kaname was out first and when Ron exited, she ducked into the bedroom muttering "Goodnight." When the door shut there was a second click that for some reason had the distinct sound of 'Go Away!'

Kim changed into an oversized T-shirt that barely covered her bottom while Ron changed in the bathroom. She had already slipped under the covers when Ron came in. Ron didn't discover his problem until he saw the towels setting there. "Awww Man. She left her wet towels on her bed."

"Ron, turn out the lights."

"But Kim, the bed's soaked!"

Kim flipped the covers back and said, "Ron, turn out the lights"

"Kim?"

"Just turn out the lights and get in. We have an early day."

Ron looked at her for a moment, flipped the light switch and climbed into the bed. Once he was settled, Kim wasted no time in molding herself against him, throwing one leg over his and settling her head into his shoulder. She pulled the light covers up to her chin and settled in with a contented sigh, then murmured "G'nite Ronnie."

Ron looked down through the auburn mane to the pert nose peeking out with a slight smile on those pouty lips and wrapped his arms around her. When he did she settled deeper and he smiled. Just before she drifted to sleep she thought she heard, "G'nite KP."

**********

For Ron and Kim the following morning was a shock. At 06:30, they were jolted out of bed into mission mode by the sound of muted explosions. Looking around wildly they didn't see anything wrong. They bolted from the bedroom to see Sousuke dressed in damp PT's, (a Physical Training uniform) standing there like nothing was wrong. He was making coffee. "Possible-san, Stoppable-san, is something wrong?"

"Dude, what're those explosions?"

"Ah, you've never spent time on a military base. Those reports were the QRF test firing and setting their weapons to battle-sight zero before the exercise this morning. The range is about a klick away on the beach aimed out to sea. That way we can avoid most of the hazards associated with unexploded 57 MM HE Rounds littering the island

Kim didn't know what to think. "Those booms were a thousand meters away."

"Yes. As I said, the ASes use a 57 MM Bofors for short to medium range engagements and an A.S. sized monomolecular Combat Knife for hand to hand." Sousuke paused for a second. "Miss Possible, don't you think you should be more appropriately dressed."

Kim went wide-eyed and looked down to see the T-shirt that nearly didn't cover her panties. "EEEPPP!" She pulled the hem a little lower and bolted back to the bedroom, face aflame.

Ron watched the retreating backside until it entered the room, then he looked back at Sousuke. "Dude, I think if you were anyone else, we'd be scrapping right now."

"By the context, I believe you mean a fight. Why?"

"That question is why we're not."

Sousuke looked puzzled for an instant then went back to finishing the coffee for the Americans. He had already started the morning tea for Kaname. Her low blood pressure made it hard for her to get started in the mornings and she needed what Ron had dubbed her morning jump start. She was as bad as Kim in her need for caffeine to start the day.

Sousuke asked Ron, "Did you sleep well Stoppable-san?"

Ya know, I did. Best sleep I've had in at least a couple a months."

Sousuke looked at Ron hard for a moment. "Stoppable-san, for my friends' sake, I feel I must inform you of something. What happened last night with Kurz and Tessa was a planned operation."

It took Ron a minute the figure out what he was talking about. "What a minute, you mean it was a setup?"

"Yes. I don't know where they got the idea though. If I had to guess, I would say Commander Director."

"Who knew about it?" Ron was starting to get steamed.

"As far as I can tell, only Kurz and Tessa. Neither Mao, Kaname nor myself had any idea."

"What about Kim?"

"I believe she was just as in the dark as you were."

"Are you sure?"

Sousuke weighed his words carefully. "Beyond a reasonable doubt, yes. Her reactions to Tessa's actions would have been very hard to fake. Particularly in light of how much she imbibed. She was on her second drink before Tessa and Kurz initiated their plan."

"Why would they do that?"

Sousuke looked at him like he was crazy. Even he wasn't that clueless. Sousuke asked what seemed like a non-sequitur question. "How did you sleep last night, Stoppable-san?"

"Great. You already asked me that."

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why did you sleep well? Could it be because you feel like a burden has been lifted from you?"

Ron started to get where Sousuke was going with this. "So they set both of us up?"

"Yes. Like me and Kaname, the two of you are part of a whole. Neither is complete without the other. If you will recall, part of my mission to America was to help you through your time of need. A portion of that was repairing the rift between you and Possible-san."

"With Melissa, Kurz and Tessa, my missions become theirs and vice-versa. They are people who have put their lives on the line for mine and I have done the same for them."

"I gotta tell ya, I was ready to lay some serious smack monkey on your friend last night."

"I know. That's why I felt I should tell you this. Kurz is my friend and I wish to protect him from your anger. Do you agree, Possible-san?"

"Eeep." Kim jumped from around the corner dressed in a set of cargos and black T-shirt.

Ron figured out she'd been eavesdropping. "Kim, did you know about what they were up to last night?"

Sousuke had enough sense to say, "I believe I will go check on Kaname. Excuse me." He left for the bedroom.

"Kim."

Kim knew she was on trial and the slightest mistake would cost her everything. She wouldn't even be back to square one. She'd be completely off the board. Gulping she said, "I figured something was up when we were on the dance floor. I asked Tessa about it when we were in the bathroom. She confirmed it."

"So you only knew about it afterwards?"

"Yes."

"And the patio?"

"That was all me. Ron, I saw a chance for us and I took it. The two of them might have opened the door, but I jumped through it. I'd do it again."

"Alright, you didn't play me so we're chauncey. Cause I'm done being played by people."

"I told you last night, Ron, I'll never let you down again."

He could see her lip trembling "Awww, come here, I'm sorry." He pulled her into a hug. "I didn't mean to get mad at you."

"I was scared, Ron. I was afraid you'd hate me again."

He cupped her cheeks and looked into her eyes. "Kim, I've never hated you. Ever! Not even two months ago. I was hurting and angry at you. But I never hated you. OK?" She nodded.

He said "Good. You heard about how I slept, what about you?"

"Same as you, best night I've had in months." She looked pensive. "Ron, last night, me and Kaname played you a bit." Ron's eyes hardened as Kim went on. "I wanted to sleep with you and she wanted to sleep with him, so she soaked her bed for me. Don't blame her, please."

Ron was wearing a wry grin, "Well, I guess it's OK. I did sleep good."

Sousuke and Kaname entered the main room. They were both dressed like Kim in cargos and Black T's. She made a beeline to the kettle steaming on the stove and poured her tea as the Americans retrieved their coffee.

Sousuke interrupted them with, "Stoppable-san, if you hurry, we can make it to the cafeteria in time for breakfast."

At the mention of food, Ron's reaction was typical. "Wait, you mean we're waitin' on me? Be right back." a few minutes later he returned pulling the black T-shirt over his head and moving to the door, saying "Come on, let's go! The Ronster's about to starve."

**********

After a quick (to Ron at least) breakfast, Sousuke took them to the FTX Command Post located near the top of a peak on the windward side of the island. Inside they met up with Captain (Naval O-6)Testarossa and were introduced to Urzu-1 Captain (Ground Forces O-3) Belfangan Grouseaux.

Tessa had them sit in a room with dozens of small monitors covering one wall surrounding a large central monitor. Some of the pictures were from high points around the training area, others were aimed into open areas and some of the rest were obvious overhead drones. Apparently each A.S had it's own drone assigned to it.

Tessa told them that 'insurgents' from 'Threatmondia' were planning to attack a portion of the base. The Arm Slave Quick Reaction Force had intelligence that they were coming. Just not exactly when or from where, so the QRF Commander was rotating his platoon of ten ASes through 70/30, 2 hour alert/1 hour stand down cycle. This allowed his people a chance to exit the machines for a while, significantly increasing the amount of time he could keep them on alert. The pilots that were resting had to stay within thirty seconds of the machines, but when an alert comes, you can cover a lot of ground in thirty seconds. The ground crews had latrines, cots and food in the bivouac area.

What no-one expected was Mao's willingness to exit her M-9 and infiltrate the bivouac on foot, placing 'explosives' near both the sleep tents and the ASes. After she returned from her mission of sabotage and settled in the cockpit again, she carefully moved ahead with her ECS on full to the very edge of detection. When she was in place, she signaled Kurz to open the ball. He did so by firing from outside the sensor grids of the QRF. And his first shot was a killer. He took out the units Commander from nearly 4 klicks away. When the paint round hit, the computers deemed it a kill shot and shut him out of the rest of the battle.

The next thing any of the QRF knew the bivouac area went up in a cloud of smoke and the three ASes and their pilots standing by were 'killed'. When the 'explosion' went off Mao jumped forward and 'killed' the QRF Commander's wingman. That was where the 'insurgents' stopped having things their way. The rest of the QRF rallied behind the number 3 man, a long serving Staff Sergeant. The first thing he did was order an immediate scatter and ECS activation. This took Kurz out of the equation for a while. Long enough for the remaining 5 QRF members to localize and eliminate Mao. Once she was down, Kurz had two choices, attack or withdraw. The smart move would have been to withdraw. A five to one kill ratio was nothing to sneeze at. But the briefing had said that Threatmondian insurgents were fanatical in pressing home an attack, so he went ahead and started to move forward.

His mistake was not wanting to give up his precious sniper rifle. The rifle accidentally passed beyond ECS coverage and when one of the stationary camouflaged QRF Troopers saw a weapon's stock floating twenty feet above the ground, he looked down and saw footprints being created from nothing. He called in the sighting and quietly maneuvered behind the advancing 'terrorist' calling in locations as needed. The Staff Sergeant moved the rest of his people to catch the 'insurgent' in a killbox crossfire.

The entire operation from the time Urzu Team moved out at 07:30 to Kurz's 'death' took just under 3 hours. Back in the control center, the ECS had been canceled out by the computers, so every camera in the area could see them moving through the jungle and clearing dotted training area. During that time Kim and Ron watched in fascination and awe as these machines moved with an almost human grace. When Mao moved to take out the QRF Commander's wingman, her machine moved so fast that they blinked thinking it was a CGI trick.

They remembered the expanded Diablo's had moved with a clunky mechanistic way. They seemed to be able to travel as fast as these piloted ASes and had a broader array of hand-to-hand weapons. But the QRF had shown that the reactions and training of the pilots more then made up the difference. The biggest advantage the Diablo's had was numbers and the regenerative properties of the Hephaestus material. But the coordination, speed and sheer brute force the ASes had used would have canceled these out, at least on a local scale.

The After Action Review took another hour and a half where Captain Grouseaux, as one of the graders, lambasted the ground and support crews for not being more aware of the threat of possible infiltration. Their job was ground and bivouac area security, and they blew it. The rest of the meeting covered the AS deployment. The Staff Sergeant was complemented on his quick thinking after the rest of the command team had been taken out.

Once the exercise and debriefing was over it was after 13:00 and Tessa released them to Chow and to get ready for the Ceremony in a couple of hours. Sousuke drove them back to the Chow Hall and they all ate hurriedly except for him. The rest of them watched as he just toyed with his food for a moment and excused himself say he would meet them at the Jeep. They found him outside playing with a blue dolphin keychain. Kaname had given it to him after his return from the mission that killed LT Wiseman, and she knew he was replaying that mission trying to find something he could have done to save them.

They finished, drove back to the bungalow and got ready for the Mission. They all took another quick shower, the guys shaved again and they laid out the Class A Uniforms. After getting dressed and packing the rest away, they drove back to the AS hangar and turned the Jeep back over a Corporal from the Ready Reaction Force. They could see a C-130 aircraft with U.N. markings standing by just outside the doors to the hangar. There were also several Arm Slaves on hands and knees, in formation on either side of the hangar doors, in an arc around the plane.

They entered through a side door to see a casket on a pedestal with five Troopers acting as Sentries, one on each corner, facing away from the casket and the last at the head facing in. They were in Mithral Dress Uniforms, under Arms with old fashioned M-14's, standing there at Parade Rest with expressionless faces. The casket was covered in a light blue flag that had a winged-hilt Sword superimposed over a Shield, with the globe emblazoned across the Shield and a Banner across the bottom that read, Mithral.

Sousuke's detail had arrived inside the hangar at 14:55, five minutes before scheduled. He led them to a position at the head of the casket, about twenty feet behind the Sentry facing the casket, looked into the eyes of each one of his people, took a shuddering breath and whispered "Fall In" They lined up shoulder to shoulder by Rank. Once they were in position, he said "Parade REST." and they shifted to match the Troops around the casket, minus the rifles. This was the hard part for Ron, Kim and Kaname. They had to remain there until ordered to move. Luckily they didn't have to wait long.

From outside there came the sounds of Arm Slaves starting up and shifting position. The hangar doors opened to reveal what had to be nearly the entire base complement. The Arm Slaves had been shifted so that the left knee and right fist was on the ground and the heads were bowed. Once the doors were open there came the sounds of a snare drum sounding a three/quarter tempo marching beat. When the drum started Sousuke ordered "Attention" and both the Honor Guard and the Detail snapped to. Several groups of men and women, by Battalion and Company, in total silence, other then the tread of boots and tattoo of the drum, marched into positions around the hangar facing the casket.

When the final group was in position, the snare drum rattled to a halt. Kim, Ron and Kaname moved their eyes around the assembled Troops. They spotted Tessa, looking fully like Captain Testarossa now, standing in front of her crew. They saw an older woman, carrying an American Flag in her left arm, approaching them. She stopped in front of Sousuke. As soon as she halted, he saluted her, holding the salute, he waited until she returned it. When she did so, he lowered his arm and waited.

"Sergeant, do you formally accept responsibility for the safe journey of our comrade to her Final Rest?"

"Yes ma'am!" She formally offered him the Flag. when he took it, she saluted him and stepped his right, turned and gave her last Command for the ceremony, "Detail POST!" The reason she saluted him was because Command of the entire ceremony had been turned over to him and it was a heavy weight for the young man. The snare sounded again and the detail marched forward. As they approached the Sentry at the head 'About Faced' and brought his weapon to 'Present Arms'. Sousuke stopped a pace away, returned the salute and said, "You and your detail are relieved."

The Sentry said, "I stand relieved." snapped the weapon to 'Port Arms', he 'About Faced' again. He addressed the Honor Guard, 'Ready, FACE' they turned facing the foot of the casket. 'Right Shoulder, ARMS' the weapons were brought to the right shoulder in perfect unison. 'Forward, MARCH.' The snare started again allowing the men to maintain step. As they marched away another group of six approached and split around the casket. Once in place they folded the MITHRAL flag, leaving the casket bare.

When they moved out of the way Sousuke marched them forward and they split around the casket, Kim and Sousuke on the right, Ron and Kaname on the left with Ron and Sousuke at the head. Ron knew he could NOT mess this up, it was too important. Because the Flag was to be positioned with the blue field of stars on the left shoulder of the deceased, the rest of the Flag was positioned off of that. That meant the entire thing rested on him.

Sousuke laid the Flag on the casket and started unfolding it, passing the end to Kim, who passed part to Kaname, while Sousuke passed the blue field to Ron. They laid the Flag so the bottom of the blue field rested on the center of the casket. Once Ron had it positioned, they draped it over and carefully folded the ends and secured them with clips to hold it in place. They finished and marched back to the head of the casket, retaking their former positions.

A squad of six men approached from the side. They stopped in front of Sousuke and faced him. It was Staff Sergeant Zimmer and part of the Ready Reaction Force. Sergeant Zimmer saluted him and said, "Sergeant, my Detail and I request the Honor to move the deceased to transport."

He returned the salute, saying, "Carry on." The RRF moved around the casket, three to a side, center faced, grabbed the carry handles and lifted to their waist. They side-stepped until they cleared the pedestal, and in one motion, moved LT Wiseman to their shoulder and faced forward. The drum started sounding again, at half-tempo this time, and they marched slowly forward. From outside they heard, "READY, AIM, FIRE." **BANG **"AIM, FIRE," **BANG "**AIM, FIRE," **BANG**. When the last shot was fired, Sousuke very loudly ordered, 'Present ARMS' and everyone, both inside and out, slowly raised their right arms and held them there. After she was on her way up the ramp of the waiting C-130, he said 'Order ARMS' and they slowly lowered their arms back to 'Attention'. Swallowing he glanced around with his eyes, and ordered 'Fall Out'.

As the rest of the assembly disbursed, he looked over at the team and saw Kaname openly had tears flowing and Kim was right behind her, while Ron was wearing a look of stone with unshed tears standing in his brown eyes. They were all stunned when he said, "This is the easy part, wait until we get her home."

A.N. Both Army and Navy use the Rank of Captain. But where an Army Captain is a Junior Officer O-3, a Navy Captain is a Senior Officer O-6. So Captain Testarossa is significantly higher ranking then Captain Grouseaux. When aboard ship and at sea, there is only ONE Captain onboard, Period. So Army and Marine Captains are by custom 'bumped' one pay grade upwards to Major and other Navy Captains are called Commodore for purposes of address.

Army / Navy

O-1 2nd LT / Ensign

O-2 1st LT / LTJG (Junior Grade)

O-3 Captain / LT

O-4 Major / LT Commander

O-5 LT Colonel / Commander

O-6 Colonel / Captain

O-7 through O-9 General / Admiral Ranks


	17. A Journey Home

A.N. I can't tell you how much help CajunBear73 and Sentinel103 have been. I tossed this at them close to midnight and when I checked this morning, they had both fired it back with corrections. Thanks Guys

Chapter 17 A Journey Home

The thrum of the four Allison T56-A-15 turboprops reverberated through the airframe as they pushed to plane along at it's cruise speed of close to 300 knots. In the back near the ramp of the C-130 rested its single piece of cargo. A Flag covered casket resting on the deck secured by the hold-downs. Near it stood a young man in U.S. Army Class A's with Staff Sergeant stripes on the upper arms. He was looking at the casket, but he wasn't seeing it. He was seeing the face of a woman that was willing to accept him into her squad and treated him as an equal even though he was half her age despite the reactions of the rest of her squad.

A distance away sat three other people in Class A's, a Corporal, a Specialist and a PFC. There were three cots set up near them where they could catch a few hours sleep on the long flight. They were all looking at the young man. Two were wondering what he was thinking and the third felt she knew all to well. He hadn't said a word to them other than passing orders since before they took off from Merida. That was hours ago. They had already made their scheduled stop at Guam to refuel and were winging their way to the next stop of LAX.

Kim was clinging to Ron when she looked at the other two and said, "Ya know, I hated him last week. After what he did to Ron in that briefing room, I hated him. But now, I couldn't imagine what he's going through. That ceremony was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I never wanna have to do that again."

Kaname never took her eyes off of Sousuke, "That's the second one I've seen."

Ron groaned, "Oh Man! How?"

"Remember me telling you about what happened on the Da Danaan a couple of years ago?

Kim had told Ron about it. She said "Yeah."

Kaname never looked away, "A couple of Sousuke's teammates were killed when Gauron tried to take over. I was there for the roll call and departure ceremony. This one was a lot harder though. I was just a bystander last time. Dana's crew was in formation on the dock with the SRT in the front, I watched Tessa slowly march along in front of them calling their names. 'CPT Gail McAllen,' there was no answer and Mardukus said 'CPT McAllen is on Patrol, ma'am.' She kept walking and calling names ,'Sergeant Major Melissa Mao, Sergeant Kurz Weber, Sergeant Sousuke Sagara,…… Private First Class Lian Xao Ping.' And Mardukus repeated "He's also on Patrol ma'am.' Then we moved to the A.S. hangar for departure. It was one of the saddest things I've ever seen."

Ron interrupted with, "I'm just worried about when we get her home. You heard what he said."

Kaname was still looking at Sousuke, "There's something you need to remember. As hard as it's going to be for us, we're just the support. It'll be worse for him." She stood and looked down at the seated pair. "He has to stand in front of her family and look them in the eyes when we transfer her over." She walked away towards the quiet young man standing near the remains of his comrade and took his arm, laying her head on his shoulder.

Ron said the first thing that came to mind, "Oh God!"

**********

The plane landed in Los Angles and taxied to the refueling point. While they were on the ground Sousuke retrieved his cell from his bags and dialed the number he had been given for when he needed to call G.J. He was routed to Agent Du and he told the 'Top Agent' that he expected to arrive in about three hours with LT Wiseman. Du mumbled something about 'Amateurs', said he would pass the information on and just hung up. Sousuke looked at the phone for a second wondering what that was about. He replaced the cell in his bag and returned to his vigil.

The others had gotten a few hours sleep on the provided cots, but he had stood watch over her continuously since they left nearly 12 hours ago. He was tired but he wasn't about to turn this over to anyone until he had to. A few more hours and they would be on the ground at the Middleton G.J. base for their layover. He wasn't sure how he was going to do it, but he wanted to watch over her until she was home. He had failed her once before and it had cost her, her life. Not this time.

Kim walked up to him and said, "You need to get some sleep, I'll stand watch."

"I'm fine."

"No you're not. You've been up for nearly twenty-four hours straight. The reason we're here is to help you. We can't do that unless you let us."

"I've had longer Combat Missions before."

Kim had figured out a handle on the somber Sergeant. "This isn't Combat, it's an Escort, and there's four of us. We're here to Honor her and your depriving the rest of us of the chance to do that."

Sousuke's head snapped to glare at her. "Get some sleep, Sergeant. We'll be on the ground in a couple of hours. You're in charge and we need you alert."

His shoulders drooped as he realized she was right. "Wake me 30 minutes before we land."

"You got it." She watched as he walked away unbuttoning his jacket. She turned back to the Flag covered casket, dragged a nearby stool near the head of LT Wiseman and sat down. She looked along the covered rectangular shape and returned her gaze to the blue star spangled field.

Something inside of her compelled her to introduce herself. "H H H Hi, I'm Kim Possible. You don't know me, but you know a friend of mine. He's been thinking about you for a while and he misses you a lot. I'm here with him to take you home." Her voice was breaking as she spoke to this person had never and would never meet.

**********

The plane landed at the G.J. base and taxied close to the hangar and spun to put the ramp near the hangar doors. After shutting down the engines, the ramp lowered revealing a single man in grubby coveralls. When he saw the Flag draped casket they were unhooking from the hold-downs and spinning in place, his expression changed from bored to fury. He charged up the ramp, spotted the Sergeant stripes and beelined to Sousuke.

"Dear God, please tell me this person isn't a KIA and they're coming here." he snarled.

"She was and is."

"Then why the fuck didn't you call ahead and tell us you were inbound."

"I did."

"What? Who did you talk to?"

"Agent Will Du."

"That son of a bitch! I'll deal with him later." He looked back at the personnel in the hangar. "Alright, fuck it, there's no help for it. Get out on the tarmac and get ready."

He charged back down the ramp into the hangar screaming, "FALL IN, NOW! TODAY PEOPLE TODAY! FALL IN FOR HONOR GUARD AND BEARER DUTY. LET'S GO, PEOPLE, LETS GO!" Throughout the hangar, when they heard 'Honor Guard and Bearer Duty' tools clattered to the floor and people scrambled to get into formation. They fell in, in a single large formation with no respect for rank or position. A group of six were forming up to the side. They had obviously been detailed as Bearers before. A couple of people were rushing to a room on the side of the hangar, opening a door and grabbing a table dolly for her to rest on. They rolled it to the opening of the hangar doors and fell in with the rest.

When he had them in formation, the Chief turned and faced the plane. The Bearer detail marched up the ramp and secured the casket, lifted to the waist, lifted to the shoulder and faced the ramp, then carefully marched down the ramp towards the dolly.

As they came down, Sousuke called "Present Arms" and everyone raised their arms to Render Honors. Once the casket was placed, he called "Order Arms" and the Chief detailed a few men to move her to the opened room. Sousuke had the rest of them go with her while he talked to the Chief. Kim had been right, he needed the few hours sleep he had gotten, because now it looked like he had to go pummel an arrogant 'Top Agent'

When he asked the Chief where he could find Du, the Chief informed him, "You let me handle that bastard. He's embarrassed us for the Last! Time! You just get in there and take care of them. I'll send a man to show you some quarters." He turned to leave, stopped and said, "Oh, and Sergeant, one more thing. You're not the first Escort detail I've seen. I don't know what it is about being in charge of one that make the Leader think he has to do it himself. You've got three other Troopers in there. Use 'em. You need to get some sleep! You look like you need it. Set up a guard rotation, get to your quarters, take a hot shower and get some sleep. Understood?"

"Roger Chief."

"Good. Your hoverjet will be ready first thing in the morning." He stalked away to find a pompous ass and administer corrective training. Along the way, he called for a few of the meanest of his people. Not the biggest, the meanest and they weren't all male either. Du had caused his people to be disrespectful to a Fallen Warrior, and it was an insult that couldn't be allowed to pass unanswered.

From the way the Chief stalked through the hangar gathering people, Sousuke almost pitied 'Top Agent' Du. Almost.

**********

Ron had volunteered to take the first shift. He was sitting in the doorway to LT Wiseman's room reading on the Kimmunicator when he saw Will Du come scrambling out of the hallway that led deeper into the base. His nose was bloody and had a broken look to it. He was also sporting what looked to be a serious oncoming shiner. The agent started heading Ron's way when Ron jumped to his feet, slamming the chair back and growled. "Please come over here so I can kick your ass! I can't leave until Kaname gets here in an hour."

"Listen Am…"

Ron suddenly exploded in a blue haze, eyes blazing. "SAY IT! CALL ME AN AMATEUR! If I'm an amateur and defeated something you couldn't, what's that make you?"

The doorway slammed open to reveal a group of pissed hangar techs. The haze winked out like it never existed. "Here he is!" Will took off heading to one of the ready hoverjets, jumped in, hit the emergency startup and bolted to the sky.

The hangar chief came in breathing hard, saying, "Don't worry people, he'll be back!" He looked over at Ron, "You need anything, son. Something to drink, bathroom break?"

Ron was staring at the hoverjet disappearing into the lowering evening sky. He answered through gritted teeth, "No Sir. I just need a few minutes alone with flyboy!"

You and me both son, you and me both. But don't you worry, I'll catch up to him. NOBODY embarrasses me like he did. I'll have people on duty all night, y'all just holler if you need anything. Pass the word to your relief."

"Yes Sir."

"You tell that Corporal to pull the Sergeant out of the rotation, he needs the sleep."

Ron was wearing a Zorpox smile, "We already did, Sir. LT Wiseman was a friend of his. He was there when it happened."

"Oh man! Y'all let him sleep. Best thing for him. He's gonna have a killer of a time when he has to turn her over."

"We figured that."

"Alright, I'll see you guys in the morning, G'nite."

"Night Chief." Ron picked up the chair and tried to resume his reading when he saw he had crushed the Kimmunicator in his hands. "AWWWW MAN!"

**********

The following morning, Sousuke woke at his customary 05:00 and immediately realized something was wrong. No one had woke him up for his shift with LT Wiseman. He quickly shaved, dressed and headed for the hanger to see Kaname sitting on a chair just inside the open door with her Kimmunicator in her hands.

He asked her with simmering anger in Japanese _"Kaname-san, why didn't anyone call me for my watch?"_

"_Sousuke, the fact you failed to wake up on your own means you really needed the rest. We have a long day ahead and you're doing most of the driving after we land. None of us want to die in a car wreck before we get there."_

"_I should have been here."_

"_Sousuke, she gave her life trying to protect others. Would she want you or us to get hurt?" _

The question stopped him in his tracks. "No."

"Tell you what. You're here now. Take over and I'll go get us some tea."

He nodded. She stood and stretched. Then pulled him into a hug adding, "What are you supposed to say?"

"Good morning, Kaname."

"Good morning, Sousuke. I'll be right back."

She returned a few minutes later saying, "These barbarians have never heard of tea unless it has ice in it. Here." She passed his a cup of coffee.

"I'm going to take a shower and change into a fresh uniform. I'll send either Kim-san or Ron-san up when they're ready, then you get a shower too. Probably Ron-san, because I relieved Kim-san a while ago. OK?"

He nodded to her and she gave him a kiss on the cheek. She left to get ready for the rest of their trip, leaving Sousuke alone with LT Wiseman. He wasn't sure how, but the dreaded feeling of failure, his failure to be there for her, didn't return. Unlike when he had been forced to leave her and the rest of the Indian Ocean SRT behind, this time he wasn't alone. He had help, and friends with him on the journey.

And it made all the difference in the world.

**********

A few hours later, the scene was radically different from the near fiasco of yesterday. A group of techs had pushed a large hoverjet out of the hangar onto the tarmac, just outside the hangar doors. A few minutes before 08:00 hours, people started coming from every direction, outside the hangar, the doors leading into the base and from the maintenance offices over the hangar, everywhere.

Most were dressed in freshly cleaned and pressed duty uniforms, the maintenance and support staffs. Others were in G.J. dress uniforms, the field agents and Command staffs, including Betty Director. 'Top Agent' William Du was conspicuous by his absence. The Hangar Chief had already talked to Betty about his actions yesterday, and she was furious. Both at Du for what he did and the Chief for taking punitive action against him. Not that she blamed him, but a lynch mob not the way she wanted her people to handle things.

They quietly assembled by groups and fell into formations throughout the hangar and on the tarmac. At 08:00 the doors to the room where LT Wiseman had spent the night opened and, escorted by Sousuke's detail, she was rolled to the edge of the hangar. The agent that was pushing her stopped about ten feet from the doors and the detail walked ahead a little further.

Six agents moved the either side of her and lifted her up, performing the same sidestep, lift/turn maneuver they had seen yesterday. When the bearers stepped off, Sousuke called 'Present Arms' and the assembly 'Rendered Honors', holding the salute until she was aboard the hoverjet.

Betty caught Sousuke's eye, signaling him to wait a moment after everyone left for the day's duties. He told Kim, Ron and Kaname to go ahead and board the hoverjet. Once everyone was out of earshot, she asked him, "How're ya holding up?"

"The mission is going well, Ma'am. It's not a problem."

She shook her head and exhaled with a bit of exasperation. "Don't try to BS me, Sergeant. I know better. I've done this job. And there nothing easy about it. Now why don't you try again and tell me how you're holding up."

Sousuke looked at the hoverjet containing LT Wiseman and looked back at his superior officer, "As well as can be expected, Ma'am."

"Wanna talk about it?"

He looked back to the hoverjet, thinking, "Yes Ma'am, after our return."

"Alright, I'll leave word that you've got an open door. I'll see you when you get back, Sergeant. Carry on."

After exchanging salutes, he boarded the hoverjet for the second-to-last leg of the journey.

**********

They landed at the Butte, Montana G.J. base and were met by a G.J. Agent in dress uniform and an elderly man. They were standing next to a hearse and a Ford Crown Victoria with government plates. The agent introduced himself as the Agent In Charge of the base and passed them the keys to the large Ford. The elderly man said his name was Marcus Friedman. He was from Porters Corner and would drive the hearse.

Within minutes of landing every Agent in the base was standing outside in formation. Six of them carefully removed LT Wiseman from the hoverjet and marched her to the hearse. On command right arms slowly came up so that the tips of the fingers just touched the right eyebrow, Rendering Honors. Once she was in the hearse, on command, the arms were lowered. Mr. Freidman closed the rear door and waited. You could clearly see the Flag draped casket through the large windows of the hearse.

The A.I.C. passed Sousuke a couple of cards and a route map to Porters Corner, saying, "Just in case. The business card has my cell number on it. 24/7, you need anything in the next few days, you let me know. The credit card is for gas, just use it at the pumps. They have a couple of rooms ready for you when you arrive. Drop the car off here and we'll get you transport back to Headquarters. Any questions, Sergeant?"

"No Sir."

"Carry on, Sergeant."

They exchanged salutes and Sousuke turned to Mr. Friedman. "Sir?"

"We got about an hour drive, son. Easy roads all the way. You just stick on my bumper and I'll get y'all there."

The young Sergeant looked towards the Crown Vic to see Ron carrying both his own and Sousuke's bags. It was a heavy load because of the weapons duffel. Kim and Kaname were each carrying their own and placing them in the trunk.

"We'll be ready in a few minutes, Sir."

"Son, you're bringing home the sister of a friend of mine. My names Marcus and I'd be pleased if you'd use it."

The old man could see that Sousuke was clearly uncomfortable with that. He smiled and said, "How 'bout Mr. Friedman?"

"Thank you, Mr. Freidman. We'll be ready in a moment."

"Well, I'm gonna go get her started up, y'all just give a wave when you're ready." As he walked away, he pulled out a cell and made a quick call. He climbed into the hearse, started the engine and pulled ahead to the gate and waited.

When Sousuke returned to the car, Kim said. "We're loaded up."

"Very good. Let's go."

For once neither Kim nor Ron even tried to get in the front seats. They climbed in and he pulled away from the base falling in behind the hearse. As they drove, it became evident that it wasn't the first time the old man had lead someone like this. He drove right at the speed limit, allowed plenty of time for both vehicles to make it through lights and when he pulled away from stop signs, he made sure they were through before accelerating.

Back in the Crown Vic, Kaname had taken Sousuke's hand and held it as they got on to Interstate 15. In the backseat Kim and Ron were talking in low murmurs to let both couples have some privacy. They didn't really have a chance to talk yesterday after landing in Middleton and hoverjet was too noisy for the low level talk they wanted to have. They sat in the back seat leaning against each other, heads close together.

"Can you believe it, Ron? None of those people at these bases even knew her. And not a one of them complained about having to stand there. I can understand the Mithral people, but G.J.?"

"I know. Blew my mind too."

"And a lot of them were in dress uniforms, Ron! You know how much work these things are. The Chief must have been calling people all night."

"Yeah. You know how I had the first shift after you left the hangar?"

"Uh huh."

"Well, the hangar crew, they were pissed. That's the only way to say it. After you left, they went hunting. They already got one piece of 'Top Agent' Du." From the way he snarled 'Top Agent Du' Kim knew he was still furious at the man. "He came into the hangar running like I use to trying to get away from monkeys, trying to get away from 'em." He grinned a bit. "I know he's gonna have a black eye and I think they broke his nose. He scrambled a hoverjet and blasted out of there."

"I wondered where he was today, Dr. Director was soooo tweaked that he wasn't there."

"Yeah. Well after he took off, the Chief, all he said to the techs was, 'Cleaned and pressed first thing in the morning.' and you saw what they looked like. There wasn't a speck on any of 'em."

He turned and looked at her with an expression she had never seen. It seemed to be one of almost infinite sadness. "Ron?"

He whispered, "Kim, I thought you were a hero. I thought I could be a hero. But that woman in the car in front of us… she gave everything." A lone tear fell. "And there's _nothing_ we've done that compares. Sure, I stopped the aliens, and you stopped the Diablo's. But we're still alive. And now we have to face her family, and I don't know if I can do it. And Sagara, how he's going to it, God, I have no idea. Kim, I'd rather face the aliens again!"

"I know Ronnie. But just like every time you were there for me, I'm here for you. And right now she's there for him, just like we are. I figured out why they have that four man rule. This is why. To help each other. Kaname told me a lot about what happened when she was killed. He had to leave them behind and walk out alone. But he's not alone this time. And neither are you." She placed her hands on his face and said, "You will never face the world alone again, Ron. I promise you. We'll get through this sitch together."

**********

The drive was mostly silent as they wound their way towards Porters Corner. About a ten miles from the small town, things changed a bit. A Sheriff's car that had passed going the other way, kicked on his lights, spun around and sped past them again. When he passed the hearse, he pulled in front and slowed to the speed limit, lights still flashing. A few minutes later, another Sheriff's car pulled up behind them, lights flashing.

A couple of State Police motorcycle Troopers roared past them lights flashing and sirens blaring. They leapfrogged each other clearing the way at intersections. They had just picked up an escort. Cars coming the other way turned on their headlights and pulled to the side. The cars following them also turned on their headlights and didn't try to pass them.

For Kim and Ron, this mission was an education. They had never seen anything like it. No one they knew in Middleton had joined the Service and the town didn't really have a history of Military Service. Mostly because of the Space Center. It kept the younger workers close to home.

They started seeing yellow ribbons tied around trees in the front yards of the homes they were passing. Small Flags were stuck in the ground in near the sidewalks of others. When they entered the town itself, they passed the courthouse, it's Flag was at half-staff. Townsfolk lined the streets and everyone pulled off their hat and caps.

Evidently the phone call Mr. Freidman had made had alerted the town she was coming. As far as these people knew, she was a U.S. Servicemember Killed In Action, and that was all that mattered. Her status with Mithral remained a secret, but her Service wasn't. Somehow Kim and Ron got the idea that even if it had been pouring down rain, they still would have come out to the streets and sidewalks and paid their respects.

As they approached the funeral home the motorcycle Troopers accelerated away and pulled to either side of the entrance, dismounted and removed their helmets. Holding them under their left arms, on either side of the hearse, they saluted as she passed. The Sheriff's cars peeled off and found parking spaces close by. The hearse pulled under the carport to the funeral home and came to a stop. Sousuke stopped beside it. Once she had past, the Troopers remounted and followed, parking their bikes beside the Sheriff's cars near the carport. Setting their helmets on the seats of their motorcycles they and the Sheriff Deputies approached the hearse.

Sousuke, Kim, Ron and Kaname exited the car and waited for what came next. From inside the funeral home a small group of people came out. An older couple in their late forties to early fifties and another couple who looked to be in their late twenties. The older couple and the man were clustered around the woman. Kim, Ron and Kaname all had the same thought. 'Oh God! It's her. LT Wiseman's sister.' Sousuke glanced at them and back to the hearse. His face had turned as hard as the armor on the ARX7.

Mr. Friedman went and opened a double door to the funeral home and pulled a casket dolly from inside. He placed it behind the hearse and opened the door. It was obvious from the design that the casket was simply pulled onto the dolly. The Sheriff Deputies and Troopers looked at the dolly then at each other.

One of them asked Sousuke, "Sergeant, may we act as Bearers. It would be an Honor." Kim thought she was going to start crying right there. Ron had his stone face again. Kaname's was almost as hard. What Sousuke was thinking was anybody's guess. These men didn't know who she was, all they saw was a Flag draped casket. But they were willing, almost begging, to carry her for a while.

Sousuke replied, "Certainly."

Mr. Freidman pulled the dolly back about ten feet and waited, The Deputies took the head of the casket and the Troopers the foot. They lifted to the waist and carefully walked her forward. These men had no intention of lifting her to their shoulders. The minimal distance and lack of two more bearers precluded that. The men moved her towards the dolly, and as they had so many times before, Sousuke's detail 'Rendered Honors'. The lawmen walked her to the dolly and gently set her down.

Sousuke looked at the Sheriff Deputies and Troopers and said, "Thank you, Gentlemen."

One of the Deputies said "Our pleasure, Sergeant." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. He handed it to Sousuke saying, "If you need anything while you're in town, you call me."

"Roger."

The Troopers remounted and rode away as the Sheriff Deputies pulled out.

Sousuke looked at the casket again trying to gather the courage and strength to do what came next. While he had been talking to the Sheriff, the woman and her family had clustered around the casket.

Kaname, Ron and Kim had formed up and were standing at Attention. Sousuke took a deep breath and began to speak the words he had been rehearsing to himself for the last three days. The words required of him by Mithral Command.

"Ma'am, are you Mrs. Faith Chambers?"

"Yes."

He saluted saying, "I am Staff Sergeant Sousuke Sagara, it has been my Duty, Honor and Privilege, to lead the Escort to bring your loved one home again."

He was enveloped by a woman whose face bore a striking resemblance to one in his memory, tears streaking her face. "Thank you! Thank you! You brought Grace home and I'll never be able to thank you enough for that." Glancing at Kaname and receiving a nod, he put his arms around her slightly.

The man who was evidently her husband stepped close and with hard eyes and a very low, grim, growling tone asked, "I just wanna know why a _Sergeant_ is escorting a _Lieutenant_? When I was an officer in Bosnia, the Escort was always supposed to senior to the deceased. And I don't think that things have changed that much._"_

The woman turned back and with a hurt tone, said "Carl?!"

'Carl' stood looking at Sousuke and said "Well."

"Sir, my presence was at the request of LT Wiseman. Her Final Request was that her squad be the ones to Escort her home. I was the only surviving member from her last mission."

He drew back and eyes softened as the perceived insult was instantly forgotten. He swallowed and said, "I'm sorry, this has just been very hard for Faith. They didn't tell us anything other then Grace was a KIA and she was unrecoverable."

Faith asked, "You were there?"

"Yes Ma'am."

The woman was trembling and her breath was almost a stutter. Please, Please. Please tell me…. Please tell me it wasn't a waste. Please tell me she didn't die in vain."

Sousuke had his orders about revealing information on Mithral operations to uncleared personnel. But somehow, standing in front of this woman who was begging for something, what he didn't know, those orders didn't seem to matter so much.

"No Ma'am. LT Wiseman's sacrifice lead directly to preventing a nuclear weapon from falling into terrorist hands. The operation is classified, but her actions helped prevent the deaths of thousands, maybe millions of people."

She enveloped him again stuttering "Thank you's" as her tears darkened his jacket.

Carl whispered something to her and her head popped up. She looked at rest of the team and let him go and moved on the each of them in turn. Grabbing them in a hug and saying "Thank you." She had started at Kaname and worked her way up to Kim. When she got to her, Kim said, "It's no big, Ma'am."

Faith pulled away and peered at the young woman in front of her. Her gaze moved to the nameplate on her right breast where she saw the name 'Possible'. Her head snapped to the chest of slightly taller young man to Kim's left. She saw the name 'Stoppable' there. To his left she saw the name 'Chidori' but that didn't ring any bells.

She looked back at Kim saying, "Are you...are you really.."

Sousuke quickly intervened, he quietly said, "Ma'am, we are in pubic! And there are aspects of LT Wiseman's Service that must remain secret."

Faith looked around at the group and then looked at Carl. "Honey?"

"Why don't you all come back to our place? We'll have lunch will ready soon."

Ron's stomach answered for him. RRRRRRRRR. Sousuke answered for the rest, "We'd be Honored, Sir."

"Follow us."

**********


	18. Ghosts

Once again CajunBear73 and Sentinel103 have come through. I think they just like getting the previews :P

Thanks Guys

Chapter 18 Wade has fun

Wade had just finished talking to Sagara and he wanted to get started. He left his unfinished labs and went upstairs to the garage. He saw Eleanor sitting in one of the parking slots besides the B.K.'s. He approached the A.I. equipped machines and looked from the car to the mini-Arm Slaves. He stopped in front of the eight-and-a-half-foot tall yellow amusement park mascot and paused.

From the time Wade had entered the garage, he was being passively observed by no less then five Artificial Intelligences and two near A.I.'s. Eleanor, the BK's and the two separate sensor and defense grids. Eleanor and the BK's were on a low level standby, but the grids were fully active. Since none of them had orders to the contrary and Wade was entered in the databases as authorized, none of them said or did anything. Until he addressed BK 01. He said, "Bonta-kun unit 1, Wade Load access code zero, zero, zero, five Whiskey Lima."

_Start up from Standby_

_Full activation in _

_5_

_4_

_3_

_2_

_1_

"FUMO!"

'Fumo?' Wade was puzzled. "Bonta-kun one acknowledge."

"FUMOFFU!"

'Fumoffu?' Maybe it was some weird Japanese programming. "Bonta-kun unit one, access English database."

Suddenly the machine died. The glow in the eyes faded and the machine slumped. "What?" Wade was at a loss. He scratched the side of his head and said, "Bonta-kun unit one, cancel access to English database."

"FUMO!"

"……OK, you got a glitch." He looked at the car. "Eleanor, Wade Load, access code zero, zero, zero, five Whiskey Lima."

"User acknowledged. Dr. Wade Load voice print confirmed. Programming Access will be granted after new user biometrics identified and password created. Beginning password creation procedures. Dr Load, please step forward."

He heard a click as the door was unlocked. When he opened the door there was another click and the glove box opened. Inside was a small monitor, keyboard and palm scanner. "Dr. Load, please place your palm on the scanner, be aware there will be a blood sample taken."

When Wade complied he felt a prick in his middle finger and the A.I. took a blood sample for DNA match. "DNA matching confirmed, please use the keyboard and create a new password."

Being the computer genius he was, Wade typed out a 20 digit string in about a second, then typed it again to confirm. "Password confirmed, Programming Access granted." The melodious feminine voice suddenly went sly, "Be aware Dr. Load, your access prohibits you from operating this vehicle in accordance with local and state laws. This is not a software function, but is hardcoded into the mainframe of the chassis."

"Rats!" The car was cool and Wade could just see himself behind the wheel.

"How can I help you Dr. Load?"

"I don't know, I was hoping you knew what was happening with the Bonta-kuns."

"Sergeant Sagara has been having problems with the vocal functions of the units since their creation. Anytime they are taken out of the default language, they go into stand-by. When the language overlay is removed, they are functional again."

"Alright, stand by, Eleanor. Let's see if I can figure out what's wrong."

He pulled out his highly modified Kimmunicator. "Hmmm, let's try simple binary. Bonta-kun unit one, acknowledge."

"FUMOFFU!"

"I'll never get used to that. Bonta-kun unit one, raise right arm." The right arm went up. "OK, Bonta-kun unit one, lower right arm and raise left arm." The unit complied. "Alright! We have communication. Bonta-kun unit one, for the near future, you will raise your right arm for yes, left arm for no, acknowledge." Right arm went up. "Not bad! Bonta-kun unit one, from now on, I will address you as BK1, acknowledge." Right arm. "OK, BK1, do you acknowledge programming access." The unit stood mute. "BK1, I gave the correct codes didn't I?" Right arm. "Oh, password creation! BK1, can you accept a biometric and password cross-load from Eleanor?" Right arm. "Do so. Eleanor?"

"Sending biometrics and codes now. Transmission complete"

"Thank you. BK1, are your visual scanners online?" Right arm. Wade held up the Kimmunicator. "Can you interface with this device I'm holding?" Pause and right arm. "Please send text based messages to it when answering questions, Acknowledge." There was a beep from the Kimmunicator and a line of text and said '_Order Acknowledged._'

"OK, now transmit your language and vocal databases and codes to it. Maybe I can find the glitch and get you talking."

Beep _'That would be most acceptable, Dr. Load.'_

**********

Over the next two days, Wade was more than busy. Between setting up his new labs, coordinating with G.J. to have a transport tube placed in the basement foyer, trying to find the glitches in the BK programming. He even took the time to start setting up the hodge-podge of a monstrosity called Frankenstein. He also had to set up his sleeping quarters. He had already decided that he would make a small room in the basement inside the labs.

He had also been in contact with Drew Lipsky in going through the Senior data. The more he looked at it, the more he saw a mole. He just didn't know who. Yet! But Wade had two things working against him. The mole was good, very good. And they were also careful. They really didn't want to be found.

The Sloth had returned yesterday and James Possible had brought Jim and Tim over to help out with some things. They freaked when they saw Eleanor. And they had thought the Sloth was cool. Wade almost had to unleash the Bonta-kun in Combat mode to keep them off of her. Seeing the mini-AS though nearly sent them into frenzy. James had his hands more then full with the two of them by the time they went home.

Something else Wade had done was contact Roger and arrange for the Galaxie to be delivered. When the man had come over with Ron to help him move in and get settled, he had been more then impressed by the setup in the garage. With Roger leading and James, Jim and Tim helping they had gotten the frame moved in and the rest of the parts and body scattered over the two spaces beside the lift. Roger had also brought a long workbench for working on.

Using the credit card Senior had given Ron, Wade also purchased a large inventory of tools to work on most anything in the garage at the time, including the BK's. Jim and Tim were all but drooling. The two of them were about to dive into the Galaxie, all those parts were driving them nuts. Wade told them if they did, they were likely to see more of a Mystical Monkey Master than they wanted. The car was Ron's project. Period.

Yes over the last few days, Wade Load might have been more than busy. But even with arranging transport for the Galaxie, making the purchases needed to start up a new lab, moving into it, trying to keep two ultra hyper-active teens from pulling the place down around his ears, he was having fun. More fun then he had ever had back in his room at his parents place. And he couldn't wait until his friends returned.

**********

When 'Top Agent' Du entered Dr. Directors office that morning, he moved like it was the last safe refuge he could find in a hostile land. He had been ducking angry hangar techs since his return late last night. What he didn't know, was that her office was anything but. As he came in and tried to take his customary chair to the right front of the Director's desk, she snapped, "What the hell do you think you're doing? You will stand front and center of my desk at 'Attention'! MOVE!"

He was so shocked that he complied before he thought about it. She let him stand there, looking at a spot 12 inches above her head for a few minutes before she spoke. "Agent Du, because you've been one of our better agents for a long time, I have let your arrogance and snobbery slide. That ends. Now! The people you've been deriding as 'Amateurs' have on more then one occasion, been instrumental in doing OUR job. And more often than not, they did it better then we could. Simply because they haven't been drawing a G.J. paycheck does NOT make them 'Amateurs'."

"Now the reason I'm about fed up with you, is only a byproduct of your arrogance. I'm about to lay some facts out. About thirty-six hours ago, a phone call came in. It was directed to you. And before you try to deny it or play it off," She tapped a short stack of papers to her right, "I have the call logs. You received a call from Special Agent Sagara, informing you that he was inbound with the remains of Lieutenant Grace Wiseman. And because of your petty belief that only quote, professionals end quote, know what they're doing or how to do things right, you blew it off. "

Betty was almost snarling now "I gave my _**word**_ that she would be treated with all the dignity and respect due a Servicemember Killed in Action. You embarrassed yourself, which I could care less about. You embarrassed the hangar crew. They've already let their displeasure be known and I've already passed out punishments there. Ranging from extra duty to one week suspensions. You embarrassed this organization, and you embarrassed ME! You are hereby suspended for two weeks and docked two weeks pay. You're also grounded for the next ninety days. No flights. You're not allowed at the controls anything other then a car."

"Ma'am…

She didn't even bother with the term 'Agent' when she interrupted him, "SHUT UP, Du! The way I see it, you've got three choices. One, I can drop you back in the middle of the hangar, right now, and let them handle you. Are you feeling lucky?" From the way Du paled, she figured he didn't like that option.

"I guess not. Number two, we can go with the Chief's suggestion and convene a formal Court's Martial and have you brought up on charges of 'Dereliction of Duty'. Even if you beat the charges, your record will forever show that the Court's Martial was called. Your career will effectively be over."

Will gulped at that one.

"Or you can take my option, non-judicial punishment, it gets handled here, now and forever. Which is it gonna be?"

"Non-judicial punishment, Ma'am"

"That's what I thought you'd say. For future reference, I'm gonna suggest a few things to you. First, I'd dial that arrogance of yours back a bit. I've seen some of the recordings and combat records of Special Agent Sagara. There's a reason he's being brought in as our new A.S. trainer. He has more time in Combat then any ten of our agents. I don't mean take downs, I mean Com-Bat. And there's evidence that his girlfriend has more Combat time then you. Team Possible has a better track record of take downs than you. That means they're professionals. If I ever hear the word 'Amateurs' come out of your mouth again, I will send you to the most remote, barren, isolated, miserable post I can find and have you stationed there until you either quit or retire. Are we clear?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Second, if I were you, I'd stay away from Sagara, Chidori and Team Possible. It was only the fact that the hangar chief requested the 'pleasure of kicking your ass' that prevented Sagara from climbing in that machine of his and tearing this base apart looking for you. Here's a little factoid for you. LT Wiseman was a friend of his and he was there when she was killed. Your actions insulted her Honor and her memory."

"And the only reason Stoppable didn't rip you apart is he was on duty guarding LT Wiseman. Think about it, Du, that young man defeated two creatures, each weighing more than three hundred pounds apiece, in hand-to-hand Combat. Possible can take you down hand-to-hand and one of them beat her. How well do you think you'd do against him alone. And Chidori is already pissed at you. Like I said, stay away from them."

"Third, since you're grounded for the next ninety days anyway, I suggest you avoid the hangar except for official duties. Understood!"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Since your on suspension, you will place all issue equipment on my desk, including your ID! And don't forget the watch!"

When he had complied, Betty said, "You don't need an escort out, but in two weeks, you will be met at the main entrance at oh-eight-hundred hours and brought before me again. I will return these to you then. Understood?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Now GET OUT!"

When the door shut, Betty blew out trying to release the last of the frustration Du had caused. She was rather proud of herself though. It takes talent and experience to rip a bloody strip off of someone and not use more than a very minimal amount of invective!

On the other side of the door, it was a different story. It was a seething Will Du that left Betty's office. And he blamed the 'Amateurs' for his position.

**********

Before they left, Sousuke and Ron, with Kim and Kaname as outriders, pushed LT Wiseman to the viewing room. They were surprised that the room was already filled with flowers and had programs sitting on the pews, waiting for the service tomorrow. Faith told them that someone named Richard Mardukus had called a couple of days ago and told them that the detail escorting LT Wiseman was on the way.

Once they had her placed, Sousuke took a step back and looked. She looked lonely sitting there in the empty room. He was about to decline the Chamber's invitation when a couple of older men in their late forties wearing different uniforms entered. One was dressed in Marine Dress Greens and the other wore Navy Summer Whites.

Carl Chambers introduced them as former Gunnery Sergeant Aaron Michaels and former Chief Petty Officer Jacob Hanson. They were both retired E-7's he knew from the local VFW/AM VETS post. The group shook hands first with Chief Hanson, then Gunny Michaels.

Michaels said, "Son, I know what you're thinking, you don't wanna leave her alone. Ya feel responsible for her. Now when Marcus called the Post and put the word out, well me and Jake here knew what ya needed. I'll just bet the four o' you been pulling shifts since y'all started bringing her home. And, Sergeant, I'd put real good money down, you done most of it. Ain't that right, Corporal?" He looked at Kim who was wearing a wry grin when she said. "Yes, Sergeant."

"Call me Gunny." He looked back at Sousuke. "Well, we're here ta relieve ya. Bout four hours from now couple more of our people gonna show up and spell us. We got more then fifty people ready to jump in at anytime. I give ya my word, she won't be alone for an instant. Now y'all just head on out an get some grub and good night's sleep. You won't offend us if ya wanna show up and check the guard from time to time, cause most of us been where you are. So we know how ya feel. But the Chamber's have been living around here for more'n a hundred an fifty years and we take care of our own. Now y'all head on out and we'll see ya tomorrow."

Sousuke really wasn't sure, but the looks on the faces of these hard-eyed men told him what he needed to know. She was in good hands. "Thank you, Gunnery Sergeant."

They each took one last look back to see the two retired NCO's talking in low tones. For Sousuke and Kaname, these men weren't really a surprise. Sousuke had almost been raised by people like them and Kaname had seen how far Melissa, Kurz, Tessa, Kalinin and even Mardukus would go for the people in their charge. The length's Service Members would go to support each other in a time of need was almost taken for granted.

But for Kim and Ron it was shocking. The dedication to each other was something they had never experienced outside of watching each others backs. But they had known each other since they were four and looking out for each other was second nature to them. But all these people knew was that LT Wiseman was the sister to a woman that had married into their community and she had been in the Service and they were crawling out of the woodwork trying to help. It was a humbling experience.

Carl asked them where they were staying and they got back in the Crown Vic and followed the Chamber's in their beat-up full sized Ford Bronco towards the little motel on the outskirts of the small town. They signed in and took the bags inside and changed out of the Class A's and into civvies for the first time in three days. Before they left, Sousuke told them that if they wanted to attend the service tomorrow, they should hang up the Dress Blues so they would have a chance dewrinkle. Once they had done so, they piled back into the large Ford and followed the Chamber's out of town.

Along the way they saw more of the same flags and ribbons they had seen on the way in. They passed along country roads that were more field then anything else. Combines moved through fields of grain, pulling in the harvest and plows followed them trying to get the fields ready for one more planting before winter. Silos and barns dotted the landscape, with herds of cattle meandering through the cut fields. Well off to the West they saw the purple haze of the Rocky Mountains on the horizon. They were led to a working ranch that reminded Kim and Ron of Slim's Lazy C.

Parking the car they were greeted by several younger people who were introduced as the other sons and daughters of the elder Chamber's couple and a couple of preteens that were the son and daughter of Carl and Faith. After they were led to the huge veranda, they had already placed a feast that even had Ron's eyes popping. After stuffing themselves, Carl and Faith led them to a office/den that was obviously the center of the ranch's financial affairs.

Once the door was shut and everyone had taken a seat, Faith turned on Kim. "You're her aren't you? Kim Possible?" She looked at Ron. "And you're her sidekick?"

Kim interjected, "Partner!"

"Well, care to explain?"

Sousuke immediately took charge. "Ma'am, as I stated before, I was the only survivor from LT Wiseman's last mission. These people are a part of my new team. When I was informed of my duty to her, they volunteered to accompany me on this mission."

Carl looked a bit skeptical, "Their ranks I can believe, but you being a E-6 is a little hard to swallow. I was Captain in the Army before I resigned. I served in Bosnia, that's where I met Faith. And a Staff Sergeant generally had to be a little bit older than, what 19, maybe 20?"

Sousuke looked the former Army Officer in the eyes, "Combat is one of the fastest ways to make rank, Sir. How much did you know about LT Wiseman's service?"

The Chamber's looked at each other for one of those instances of communication that married couples seem to share and Carl answered, "I probably know generally more than Faith, she probably knows more specifics. We both know she was working with some seriously undercover bunch that really didn't like publicity and she was based somewhere in the Indian Ocean."

Faith pleaded "You said you were there, how did it happen, please!"

Sousuke looked at the distraught woman for a long moment, then pulled out his cell phone and opened it when Carl said, "I doubt if you'll get a signal."

Sousuke ignored him and hit a speed dial. The Chambers were surprised after a few seconds when Sousuke spoke, "Sergeant Sagara, Ma'am. Questions are being asked about LT Wiseman's service, specifically her final mission…Her sister and brother-in-law…No Ma'am, just them…They seem to have base knowledge…Yes Ma'am…Understood, my discretion, Ma'am…Yes Ma'am, Sagara out."

He folded the cell and put it away. "Ma'am, Your sister was employed by an international organization that is dedicated to the prevention of terrorism throughout the world. Their mandate recognizes no country's claims of neutrality, borders or hostile status. If they harbor terrorists they're fair game." He looked at Carl, "Sir, you served in the Military, you're aware of the need for operational security."

"Yes."

"Then you'll understand that there are things I can't tell you?"

"Yes."

Then he looked back at Faith and said, "Ma'am, can you accept that I can only tell you certain things. If an enemy finds out too much, the lives of my comrades would be at risk. Ask your husband if you doubt me."

"Carl?"

"He's right. There's a lot more at risk here then what we'd like to know. Lack of operational security was one of the things that gave us nightmares in Bosnia."

"OK, what can you tell us?"

"That she served honorably and gave her life protecting others. The nuclear weapon wasn't really our first objective. The objective was a certain person. I had been attached to the squad because I had intimate knowledge of both the terrain and the target. He was one of the most dangerous men in the world. Utterly ruthless, he was willing to kill anyone that even looked like they stood in his way. We were to find and eliminate him. But when we caught up to him, we found he was leading a group in transporting the nuclear weapon. That changed the mission. The weather had long range communications blacked out. We couldn't get in touch with higher command for further orders."

Kaname had slid closer and put her hand on his. "So the mission commander decided that we had to stop the transport. Just before we engaged, we couldn't see our primary target and that worried me. I tried to convince them to wait until we knew where he was. But they didn't listen."

"When we sprung the ambush, we captured the nuclear weapon from the group that was transporting it. That was when **he **showed up. He single-handedly turned our ambush around on us. We were able to make a fighting withdrawal, but now we had two causalities, one killed, one wounded. The commander was the one killed."

"Taking the weapon and the wounded, we were able to slip away into the mountains. They followed us until nightfall. I was able to lead the team to a haven I remembered from when I had lived there before. We secured first aid for our wounded and settled in for the night."

"We knew the enemy was coming for us, so we settled on a plan. Since I had the most capable equipment and experience with the terrain, I took a forward observer/sniper position to ambush them as they approached."

"What we didn't know was that a former…" Sousuke paused trying to figure out how to tell them about his near brother, that in the end, had tried to kill him. "Associate of mine was working for the enemy."

Carl caught the pause as did Kim and Ron. Kaname already knew about Zaid, the childhood friend of Sousuke's who helped him survive his first few years in the mountains. Carl asked, "This associate, he was your friend wasn't he?" The look on Sousuke's face was all the answer anyone needed.

"LT Wiseman and the rest of the team had stayed behind in a position to guard the weapon. Most of the enemy fell into the ambush, but our main target didn't. He sent most of his troops into the ambush to draw our fire. Then he slipped around and got into position to take out the rest of the squad."

Sousuke was looking at his hands clasped in front of him "I had been tricked into a counter-ambush. I don't remember how long I was fighting. All I remember was my ammunition levels were falling and the enemy just kept coming. I heard the squad screaming over the radio, calling for help while I was fighting. But I couldn't break free. There were too many of them. By the time I got back, they were all dead. When I arrived, he taunted me. He was gloating. In the end, that was what allowed me to defeat him. At the time, I didn't have much choice. As best I could, I gathered the squad and buried them in hidden graves. I marked the location in the GPS, secured the weapon and walked out alone leaving them behind, leaving her behind."

Carl knew how hard this young man was taking it. 'Leave no one behind' was almost an article of faith to American Service members. It was this that caused a company of 150 men to charge into fire taking horrendous losses to rescue one man. To spend millions of dollars in munitions, fuel and equipment and risk the lives of other pilots and SAR personnel to cover a single downed aviator as he tried to escape from behind enemy lines. And even if you didn't come home alive, every service member knew that the rest would NEVER stop trying to bring you home, one way or another.

Sousuke looked up at Faith with haunted eyes, "When I was called to escort LT Wiseman home, I was offered the chance to refuse. I had failed once before. I would NOT fail her again."

Somehow, instinctively, Faith knew he was asking for something. Something that no one, not Tessa or Kalinin or Mao, not even Kaname could give. Only she could give him what he unconsciously wanted. Forgiveness for his perceived failure. She took a seat opposite Kaname and drew the young Soldier into a hug. He just kept repeating 'I'm sorry.'

It was there, half a world and nearly two years from where it happened, that a ghost was laid to rest.

**********

Deep in the German Heartland, in an underground bunker a short man was browsing through yet another listing. These mystical artifacts drove him nearly insane, not that he was far off in the first place. But he kept doggedly plowing through them trying to find what he wanted. Never let it be said that persistence doesn't pay off.

He read through the scroll telling him what he wanted. "AT LAST, I have it. Ve just have to replace that idiotin Englishman vith somevone else on Ze Yono's Path. Und ve don't fight ze Yono. Ve defeat ze vone who raises him." As he read further he found something he didn't want to know. "VE HAVE TO VAIT TIL THE ZOLSTICE?! AGGGGGHH" Mien revenge is delayed again!"

"No matter, ve still have to get him back from Frau Zeppelin. Zhe has been dragging him around for months."

"HENCHMEN!!!"

"Sir."

"Everyzhing else can vait. You are get zhe statue of Fiske away from der Blimp dat has him. Ve only have until the zolstice. No delays! Find HER! SCHNELL!"

When the Henchmen had scattered to carry out the madman's orders, he sat and pondered, "Maybe in zhe meantime, ve might want to get zhe _attention _if zhe Untermensch."

**********


	19. Taps

You know who they are, CajunBear73 and the Sentinel103, thanks for finding the 'D'oh's'. I don't know what it is but I keep confusing 'then' and 'than'. Durrdurdur.

Chapter 19

After a few minutes, the emotional tension in the room dropped to a much more manageable level and Carl still had a few questions. "OK, you were there. The way you talk about that action is too involved to be anything but real. But what I asked about before still stands. You're old enough to be an E-4, but an E-6 is hard to swallow." He looked at Sousuke with a raised eyebrow.

"Sir, because of the security concerns, LT Wiseman's former command felt the best way to honorably bring her home was the use of undercover agents. My rank as well as the ranks of my detail are legitimate. I was employed by the same organization as her for nearly six years before I was transferred to Global Justice. Chidori-san and I are active agents. Possible-san and Stoppable-san hold reserve agent status."

Faith didn't quite see it, but Carl was either shocked or horrified. It was a toss-up. "You worked for them for six years. How old were you when you started?"

"I don't know." The Chambers looked confused as Sousuke continued. He recounted his childhood to them and the expressions changed to shocked _and_ horrified.

"What the hell kind of people would put a child in combat situations like that? That's insane!"

"Sir, before you think too harshly of them, two things. First, they tried send me to the foster care of Japan. After seeing what they were fighting for, I refused. They fought to save others like me. Child Soldiers either forced, drugged or brainwashed into fighting for radical causes. I chose to be a part of that."

"Second, they took someone who was little more than an animal, bent on killing anyone even remotely involved with the murder of his family. They gave him a home, structure, discipline, a moral code and a family. Without them, I would either still be in those mountains or dead. Instead, because of them, I have been placed where I could save lives."

"Because of the life I lived before then, training was easy, I already knew as much or more than the instructors about weapons, tactics, silent movement, A.S. operations. I rose through their ranks. And just before I was transferred to Global Justice, I was promoted to Staff Sergeant."

"Carl, what's it matter? They brought Grace home. That's all I care about."

"Sir, I don't regret my time with them. They gave me my life back," He glanced at Kaname. "In more ways then one." Kaname blushed.

Faith and Kim being female caught the reference instantly and Carl was a few seconds behind. One guess as to who was clueless.

"Alright. I still think there's something wrong about it all. But I guess they made the best of a jacked-up situation." He indicated Kim and Ron, "How'd you wind up as part of their team though?" Looking at Kim and Ron, "Last I heard, you guys were doing pretty good on your own!"

Kim and Ron stiffened, they really didn't want personal issues aired like this, but Sousuke was ready for questions like this. Kaname had made sure of that.

"I was also brought in as an A.S. trainer for Global Justice and I am to attend the same college as they are. The Director thought that it would be best for us to combine our teams while we are attending classes. This would allow us to cover each other in the event of an emergency or on missions. Course work will be hard enough as it is without running out on a mission every other day."

He hadn't lied, he just didn't tell the whole truth. After eight years as an Officer that wore Leadership Tabs in Command of Troops, Carl could smell it. The looks on Kim and Ron's faces told him that. But like he had admitted before, operational security took precedence.

"Alright." he looked at Kim and Ron again, "Just so you know, the reason we recognized you two, our kids are rabid fans. I think Ron's new haircut and the fact you're not in your 'mission clothes' is the only thing that threw them off the scent. But that won't last."

The team all looked a little nervous at that. Sousuke looked like he was getting ready to hustle them out of there. Before he could say anything, Kim jumped in. "Can they keep a secret?"

Faith smiled, "Depends, can you make it worth their while?"

Ron looked at Kim with his usual goofy grin, saying, "What ya think? Let 'em in on the 'undercover' sitch?"

Sousuke was looking around wild eyed, thinking, 'Blow their covers?!', until Kaname took his arm and said, "They do this all the time, they know what they're doing."

Kim looked back at Faith with a question in her eyes. Faith smiled even more. "As long as they got to meet you two, that would probably work. Carl."

"I'll be right back."

A few minutes later he led the two preteens into his office, saying, "You know how sometimes the police go undercover to catch bad guys?"

Twin "Yes Sir's" sounded. He just pointed at Kim and Ron. "Who do they look like? They're undercover now."

Eyes grew ten times and jaws dropped. The girl was about to shriek until her brother clapped his hand across her mouth, hissing at her, "They're undercover, don't blow it."

"This is Erin and Phillip. Kids I think you know who they are."

They regained the use of their mouths and started firing overlapping questions, "Are you here to catch a bad guy." "I thought you were bringing our Aunt home." "When'd you cut your hair, youlooklikeDaddyintheArmy." "IsShegogoingtoattack?" "OHOHOH, Where's RUFUUUUUS?!"

Ron kneeled to their level and held up his hands, "Listen guys, you can't tell anyone we're here. It's important. No, we're not here to catch a bad guy. Our friend needed help bringing your Aunt home so me and Kim volunteered. We're undercover, that's why I had to get a haircut. When we saw Shego a couple days ago, she and Drakken were in their lair. And Rufus is staying with my sister for a while."

Kim was amazed, "Ron, how did you catch all that?"

"After listening to the Tweebs? Humph, they were easy."

Kim kneeled beside Ron, "Ron's right guys, we're undercover. You can't tell anyone."

Double "Awww Maannn."

Kim looked from one to the other and said, "Hold on a second." She tapped the call button on the Kimmunicator. Wade's image popped up.

"Go ahead, Kim."

She could here the whispers "Oh My God, it's Wade!" "I know, this is so beyond cool!" Kim maneuvered the Kimmunicator so his image was visible to the two frantic preteens.

"Wade, I need you to send a couple of those Team Possible fan club hats to this location. How soon can you get them here? Me and Ron want to sign them before we leave."

Seeing the youngsters behind her, he knew where this was going. "They'll be there tomorrow morning, Kim."

Kim looked back to the two all but drooling kids. "Before you send them out, could both you and Rufus sign them as well, please and thank you?"

Wade could see the flabbergasted faces behind her. He grinned and said, "You got it!"

"Thanks Wade." Kim closed the link down and said, "Now before we leave, how about if we get a picture of you guys with us wearing the hats. After we're gone for a couple of weeks, you can say that we had to pass through on a mission. That'll be just in time for school to start! You just can't tell anyone what the mission was. If anybody asks, you don't know. OK?"

Ron was wearing a huge grin when he put his hand on Carl's shoulder saying, "I feel sorry for you, Dude. Those two are like, beyond stoked!. You'll never get 'em in bed tonight."

Carl groaned "I know. It'll be worse then Christmas Eve."

**********

After saying their goodbyes to the Chambers family, they piled back into the Crown Vic and drove back to the little motel. When they had returned to the motel, the first thing Sousuke had done was pull out a small travel steam iron and steam out the few wrinkles that the Blues had gathered in the last few days. Once he was done, the rest of them in turn did the same thing.

The Chambers had sent them along with enough food even for Ron to be happy about. The motel had a small gazebo set back among a stand of Box Elders near a creek. By couple they made their way there and ate a late dinner under the stars. It was late when they finally returned to their rooms and by unspoken agreement, again by pairs, they turned in for the night.

**********

Kim had decided that she could really get used to this. Waking up with Ron spooned in behind her, generating a pleasant warmth that made it really hard to get out of bed. Unfortunately nature was **calling**! The sky was lighted by the false dawn so common in rural areas. The sun hadn't even started up yet and she was forced into the bathroom. Grrrrr! When she finished her business in the bathroom, she was surprised to see Ron was getting dressed in his workout clothes.

"RON, you're up? I figured you'd still be down until 9 at least."

"Thank Sagara, we're gonna go running this morning. I figured you'd rather have a dry bed."

"He wouldn't dare."

Ron just looked at her for a second. "This is the guy that threatened to taze _me_. Yes, he would. He was going to do it back at the warehouse, you think he wouldn't do it here? Besides, we both agreed to have daily workouts with him. And something tells me that if you look out the bathroom window…." He pointed.

Kim ducked back into the bathroom, climbed on the side of the tub and peered out of the small high set window. There, behind the motel was the Sergeant, dressed in a T and shorts, moving through a very fast martial arts kata. She could see the isometric resistance he was applying to the kata. Every visible muscle was, tensed both in forcing the movements and resisting them.

She didn't recognize the art form, but one thing stood out. This was not the graceful flowing Kung Fu she had learned nor any of the other martial arts she had seen. It was a mixture. And it was strictly Combat oriented. Strikes, blocks and parries that were all designed to drop an enemy fast.

It was just another example to her of the difference between them. In the last few days she had been coming to a realization about the difference between law enforcement, like her and Ron working with G.J. and a Solider like Sagara and Mithral. Her hand-to-hand was aimed at disarming and subduing her opponents. Sagara's centered on either disabling or killing them.

She heard Ron grumbling about socks and went back to the bedroom to see him rooting through his mission pack. She walked over to hers and tossed him a spare pair he had in hers. Over the years they had learned to keep at least a minimum amount of extra stuff in each other's packs. You never knew when one of the packs might get lost.

Ron thanked her and finished getting ready. He paused at the door, walked back to her and gave her a quick peck on the lips saying, "Be back in a while." then headed out the door.

Kim was stunned by what happened. Not the fact that he kissed her, they used to do that all the time and they had started slowly doing it again. What had her speechless was it was so…..domestic. It was something she had seen her parents doing for years.

She started getting ready for her own work-out wearing a goofy grin to rival some of Ron's best. To her it was one of the surest signs that she and Ron were back on the right track. As she finished getting dressed, she restated her vow to herself that she would NEVER let him down again.

**********

When Ron returned an hour later, he was sweating worse than she had ever seen him, even on the football field. She was concerned for a minute until his joking manner returned, "That guy, pant, was definitely, pant, trained at, pant, Yamanouchi."

"That bad, huh, Ron?"

He looked at her with a baleful eye and said, "The worst part, pant, was when he said, pant, he's running, pant some more sprints." Ron shook his head, "pant Dude's a machine. pant Worse than you. Wants me back out there in a few minutes for some katas."

When Sousuke returned, he gathered up them all up and went to the back of the building again. Kim began by working through her own katas. She had spent the time they were running, working with Kaname doing stretches, isometrics, push-ups, sit-ups, crunches and a variety of in-place exercises.

She watched for a few minutes as Sousuke first started Ron on set of Tonfa exercises they had both learned at Yamanouchi. Once Ron was going, he turned to helping Kaname, walking her through the same kata he had performed earlier, albeit at a much slower pace. From time to time, he would stop her in mid-strike and subtly reposition a wrist, adjust her stance, move her elbow to tighten her defense, make a point about situational awareness, gently guiding her in improving her hand-to-hand skills. Kim could see problems though. Sousuke wasn't female. There's a vast difference between male and female when it comes to the skills he was trying to impart.

On average, men are stronger than women. Sure there are exceptions, but the fact remained that Sousuke was much stronger physically then Kaname. And that affected the way they had to do things.

Being on average smaller and built differently, females also generally have a lower center of gravity. This affected the way they moved and the moves each was capable of.

Kim could tell Sousuke was an excellent teacher, probably perfect for someone like Ron, but he didn't have the experience to make the adjustments between the sexes. There was another problem. He was too close to Kaname. He had a hard time separating boyfriend from instructor. Sometimes, when you're training someone, you have to be willing to slam them to the ground. Brutally!

After an hour of training, he called a halt. Before they hit the showers, Kim asked to talk to everyone. Sitting in the shade of the Box Elders she laid out what she had seen, with a few suggestions. "You're good, probably one of the best I've seen. But I think you need to concentrate on Ron, while I take over for her."

"I won't dispute you, but why?"

"Because you're not a girl."

Now he just looked confused. "Being a female shouldn't have any bearing on what you're taught. What does being female have to do with teaching combat skills. One of the most dangerous assassins I've heard of was female."

Ron was confused, Kim was stunned and Kaname beamed at his answer. Kim looked at Kaname and said, "He doesn't have a sexist bone in his body does he?" Back to Sousuke, "That's not what I mean. We're different in the way we have to do things. Girls move differently than guys." Sousuke looked at Kaname and blushed causing her to blush. Kim was grinning like a fool. "I see you've noticed."

She grew serious again, stood and said "Kaname, come here, Sagara, you too." she had Sousuke hold up his hand as a target. "Hit his hand, hard as you can like he showed you." When Kaname did so, Kim had her reset and subtlety changed the way Kaname threw a punch, using more hips and less shoulders. The result was a dramatic increase in power. Sousuke was surprised, it had never occurred to him that the subtle differences in body structure could make such a difference in training.

"There's another reason. You're too easy on her. You don't realize you're doing it, but you're a lot more willing to push Ron than her."

"Kaname?"

"I wasn't sure, but I think she's right."

"Very well, if Kaname is willing to accept you as a trainer, I have no issues."

Ron groaned, "Oh man, now I've got him fulltime."

Sousuke offered to let Kaname take the first shot at the shower while he hit the road again for another couple of miles. When Sousuke made it back about twenty minutes later, they were all standing by the car. Kaname told him to hurry up because they were all hungry and waiting on him. When he came out five minutes later, showered, shaved and dressed, both Kim and Ron went "Whoa." and Kim passed a five dollar bill to Kaname. Ron said, "If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't a believed it. How can anybody get ready that fast?"

"I had three minutes to get ready when I was in training, Stoppable-san. I had an advantage though, I wasn't shaving yet."

**********

After breakfast, Kim and Ron tossed their mission pack in the trunk and they all drove back to the Chambers' home just in time to see a delivery truck pulling away. Ron looked at Kim with a grin and quipped, "Good ole reliable Wade. Let's go face the music. I bet those two are climbing the walls"

Sousuke knocked on the door and from inside they heard the voices of two ecstatic preteens shouting, "They're here, they're here!" Once the entered the homestead they found each of the kids was holding a box with their names on them. While the kids nearly mugged Kim and Ron, Carl pulled Sousuke aside saying, "I don't even wanna know how he knew our kids' names."

"Sir, there are very few people in the world more dangerous behind a computer than Load-sensei."

After the Chambers' kids had a chance to settle down, Faith said, "Miss Possible, there was another box left here addressed to you!?"

"Good, Wade got to it in time." Kim then whispered a question to Faith who just smiled and said "Follow me."

Kim looked at Phillip and Erin and said, "Now you guys wait a minute and we'll be right back. Sagara you're with Ron, Kaname, you're with me." the puzzled Japanese pair followed along wondering what she had in mind.

When Kim and Ron returned a few minutes later, you could have heard a pin drop. Both of the kids had gone completely silent, for there stood their Hero's, dressed in 'Mission Clothes' right down to the gloves. And right behind them, stood Sousuke and Kaname dressed in the same 'uniform'.

After the pictures, that included a 'secret' set including Sousuke and Kaname, as promised, Kim and Ron signed the hats. What surprised everyone but Ron, Kim had Sousuke and Kaname sign them as well. The Japanese duo was reluctant until Ron had the idea of signing them on the inside in Kanji.

Kim explained to the kids that Sousuke and Kaname were new team members and that Team Possible wanted to keep their new members a secret as long as possible. Both kids promised not to say anything until they heard about them on the website.

They left the Chambers saying they would see them at the service. They returned to the motel and carefully changed into their Dress Blues. This would be the first funeral for Kim and Ron that they could really remember. Kim had been too young to remember either her Aunt's or her Grandparents' funerals and Ron hadn't been to any that he could recall.

Kaname remembered the service for her mother all too well. And Sousuke, he had seen enough to last a lifetime.

**********

The service at the funeral home didn't last long. Faith said that her sister didn't want a long drawn out ceremony. The room was filled by people from the community with a lot of them wearing the dress uniform of their former branch of service.

When she was moved to the hearse for transport to the family plot on a hill overlooking the homestead, she was moved by a detail from the National Guard Post in Butte. Six men in Class A's carefully moved her back out to the waiting hearse. Once again, from the time she left the building until she entered the hearse, everyone in uniform 'Rendered Honors'.

When they left, they immediately picked up another set of Sheriff's and State Police motorcycle Troopers that led them through then out of town heading towards the Chambers' homestead.

When they arrived at the plot of ground that had served the Chambers family for generations, there was a platoon of National Guard Troops from same unit as the Bearers back at the funeral home. Nineteen of these Soldiers were acting as the funeral detail and the rest were there to help set up and take down the pavilion and chairs.

Like many Guard units, these men and women knew each other outside of their military service. Two of the Soldiers had been in the band in high school. The Post Commander knew for a fact they had been in the band. He was the Vice Principal. And when these two young men had enlisted into his unit, he asked them to perform a very solemn duty. Would they continue to play for Fallen Warriors? So it was that this National Guard unit had a Drummer and Bugler.

Along with the Drummer and Bugler, there were the seven Soldiers and an NCO acting as a Rifle Squad and eight more acting as Bearers. In overall Command was the Post Commander, a Lieutenant Colonel. He had what was arguably the hardest job of the entire detail. He was the one who had to pass the flag to Faith. He could have handed the job to one of his subordinates. He had more then enough Majors and Captains to do so easily, but he felt duty bound to perform this final act of Honoring a Fallen Service member himself.

The convoy came to a stop and everyone exited the cars. Once Faith had given the go ahead, the drummer started sounding a half-tempo tattoo. A lot of things started happening at the same time now. You could here the commands being given to the Rifle Squad. The Sergeant marched them to a spot about 50 meters from and parallel to the grave. "Detail HALT. Left FACE. Order ARMS. Parade REST."

At the same time the Bearers were pulling Lieutenant Grace Wiseman from the hearse. They kept her at waist level because of the uneven ground and carefully moved her to the waiting lowering device that would lower her into the ground and sidestepped into place. The Lieutenant Colonel stood at the head of the grave. Once they had her in place the Bearers stood at 'Attention'. They waited as everyone took their seats and the Minister spoke over her, never moving, except to blink and breathe.

The Team sat, as requested, just behind the Chambers. Sousuke and Kaname, Kim and Ron. When the Minister had finished, there was a pause, and then the Rifle Squad NCO ordered "Attention." Everyone stood and the uniformed personnel went to 'Attention' as the Squad snapped to. "Port ARMS." Rifles left the ground in unison, being held at forty-five degrees, muzzle up and to the left, four inches from the chest. "Half Right FACE." They pivoted forty-five degrees to the right. "Ready." Right feet shifted to shoulder width. "Aim." As one the rifles came up to thirty degrees aimed over the casket. "FIRE." **BLAM. **Back to Port Arms. Because they were firing blanks, in one split second motion, they pulled the charging handle of their M-16's to the rear, ejecting the spent round and sending a new one into the breech. As occasionally happens, a spent cartridge flew and landed in the collar of one of the Soldiers. The just fired cartridge had contained a miniature explosion a second before and was quite hot. He didn't even twitch.

Kim, Ron and Kaname thought they were ready for it, but they, along with every civilian there, flinched when the rifles fired. The Veterans never moved. "Aim, FIRE." **BLAM **"Aim, FIRE." **BLAM** "Half Left FACE" Forty-five degrees to the left "Present ARMS." From Port Arms, the rifles were snapped to the front vertically, muzzle up, magazine out, left hand on the fore grip, right hand on the stock. At the Rifle Squad Leaders command, the uniformed personnel brought their right arms up to their brow. After the last few days of hearing the Command, even Kim, Ron and Kaname didn't miss a beat.

The bugler started sounding the mournful tones of Taps and the Bearers started the careful process of folding the Flag that had covered her halfway around the world into the peculiar, yet familiar triangle. It is folded this way as a remembrance of the Tri-Corner hats worn by the Soldiers of the Revolutionary War.

When the Bugler started playing, Kim could feel the tears going down either side of her face. When he finished Taps, the command came for 'Order ARMS'. Glancing to the left she could see Kaname crying and Sousuke was wearing the hardest face she'd ever seen. Like iron. To her right, Ron had the tears standing in his eyes. Without thought, Kim reached to her right only to find Ron's hand groping for hers as well.

Just before they finished folding the Flag, the Commander carefully placed seven empty brass cartridges into the folds of the Flag. They continued as before, carefully removing any wrinkles, making sure the folds were perfect. When they had finished folding the Flag, they tucked the end into the final fold and the lead man formerly presented it to the Detail Commander.

He stood for a moment as the Bearer detail faced the foot of the casket and marched away. When they were on their way, he stepped over to Faith, took a knee (there was a small rug placed there just for this) and spoke in a very solemn tone. "Ma'am, as a representative of the President and the United States Army, it is my High Privilege to present you this flag. Let it be a symbol of the grateful appreciation this nation feels for the distinguished service rendered to our country and our flag by your loved one." There was no doubt the he truly meant it when he said 'High Privilege'.

Faith looked at this man who had trained with his Troops for days making sure they were flawless, spent hours making sure his uniform was perfect, just for the off chance they would be called. Then he had driven with his Troops for over an hour, only to stand here for two more in the heat waiting for them to arrive. All of that for this moment and say those words. What else could she say but, "Thank you."

He stood, took a half step back, slowly saluted, turned and walked back to the bus that had brought him and his Troops here, waiting for the time when everyone left and they could disassemble the pavilion and take up the chairs.

The people stood and waited while Faith looked down the hill to the place where she had made a home. Where she had hoped for her sister to come and live. She looked over the hill to the view beyond. Far off in the west she saw the clouds lowering on the peaks of the Rockies. It would probably rain in the next day or so. She looked back at the grave where they had started to lower her down. Once the casket was settled on the bottom, she walked closer and stooped down picking up a handful of dirt. She looked down and started letting the dirt slip through her finger saying "Welcome home, Grace.

**********


	20. Piece Of My Heart

As I'm sure you have noticed gentle reader, other then thanking my Betas, I try to use a bare minimum of Authors Notes. This is because I didn't want to affect the flow of the story too much. I now want to acknowledge a few things.

First I want to thank both Cajunbear and Sentinel for bearing with me through this last month.

Second I want to let you know that this Chapter has turned out nothing like I expected. I had something else entirely in mind when I started it. I spent the last three weeks trying to beat it into submission to no avail. When I finally gave up and let the charaters have their way, it was 24 hours finishing. Never argue with the Muse.

Next, in Chapters 15 and 16, I had at **least** four "Underage Drinkers". Considering the fact that this was a military installation, there was probably more than just our protagonists.

First, as Ron stated, they WEREN'T in the U.S. The drinking age varies greatly throughout the world, from 21 here to 'If you're tall enough to reach the bar and have the cash' in other places.

Secondly, like Mao, I believe that if someone is old enough to swear the Oath, be sent to a foreign land, fight and possibly die, then they are old enough to have a few drinks. I was an NCO for a number of years and saw Soldiers killed before they reached that "Magic Age" of 21. I believe this is wrong. They should either lower the drinking age or raise the voting and enlistment age to match.

The 'Moment of Silence' in Chapter 15 was a ceremony that I observed at every formal gathering and more then a few informal ones. The toast was the same every time. "To Absent Companions." At the formal ones there was invariably a separate table and place setting set aside as a place of honor. At the informal parties, cookouts, barbeques and other gatherings, once most of the guests had arrived, a moment of silence and a toast was called.

Chapter 17 was devoted exclusively to Grace's journey. The formality of deceased transfers on 'Service/Military' bases should come as no surprise. But what might surprise you is the dignity and honor that civilian carriers treat Military deceased. Check out the HBO movie 'Taking Chance' starring Kevin Bacon to get an idea of how seriously these airport terminal workers take the job of moving our KIA's. One airport worker employed by NorthWest Airlines named Eric Besvold even went so far as to take donations and procure a transporter to be used exclusively for moving the Fallen throughout the terminal.

Police escorts? I can promise you that if a law enforcement officer sees a hearse transporting a Flag draped casket, they will have an escort in minutes. Often the driver will call the Sheriff and tell them where their going and have an escort from the time they leave the airport. I've seen it.

The small flags and yellow ribbons, the citizens lining the sidewalks, members of the VFW/AM-VETS watching over the deceased are also things I have seen before. Particularly in small towns. Bigger cities, not so much, which is sad.

Sousuke's relating Grace's final minutes is not common, but it has happened. I was on Rear Detachment and a wounded 22 y/o Sergeant asked me to go with him somewhere. Imagine my shock when it was the home of the Next of Kin of one of our KIA's. He wanted to apologize to the spouse of one of the Troops in his Charge in Iraq. This rough tough, 22 y/o NCO was in tears telling her he was sorry for failing to keep his Trooper safe. The poignant part? He was wounded before the Troop was killed and had been pulled from the line of fire before it happened. Even though he wasn't there, he still felt responsible.

Funeral Details and Honor Guards. Active, Guard and Reserve units keep at least a platoon of Soldiers ready to perform Funeral Detail duties. These Troops are on duty a rotating basis. From the time they are notified of the duty, they're usually given two weeks to train and prepare and they are on call generally four weeks. Training consists of learning to fold the Flag, how to lift, maneuver and carry the casket as a unit, hone the 'Manual of Arms' so that you perform the commands as one. Particularly the command to 'Fire'. It should sound as a single **BANG**, not a rolling babababang. It's not easy and they go through hundreds of blank rounds each until they are in sync. The other part of getting ready is the uniforms. The NCO's will go over each Soldiers Class A's at least once a day making sure they're perfect.

The 'joke' about a spent round landing in the collar of another Soldier was not a joke. It's happened and I can tell you from personal experience the suckers are HOT.

The only unit that has Soldiers on funeral detail full time is the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, the 'Old Guard' based in Washington D.C. and these guys are the best in the nation at what they do. If you ever take a trip to D.C. you should visit both the Tomb of the Unknowns and Arlington National Cemetery and see the Old Guard in action. These Troops stand guard at the Tomb 24/7/52. They have even maintained the guard when Hurricane Isabel slammed into the city with winds gusting over 100 mph. That's Discipline to Duty.

One last thing. Everyone should see a military funeral at least once. Look in the phone book and I'm sure you can find a military cemetery close by. If you call, the director can tell you when the next one will be or you can ask to be placed on the call list. Go, you won't regret it.

Chapter 20

Once Carl led Faith to the car and everyone had paid their final respects, the rest of the National Guard detail started to collect the chairs and take down the pavilion. Before they left both of the Chambers asked the Team to come back to the house for the wake, but the Team deferred in order to catch the flight back home.

They parted there, on top of the hill overlooking the Chambers home. They climbed back in the Crown Vic and started the drive back to Butte. It was quiet in the car of the trip as was the flight on the hoverjet.

When they got back to the warehouse, they noticed a few changes. It seemed that Wade had been busy. Along the wall with the original lift, there was a long workbench and a couple of tool boxes. In front of the workbench, the parts for the Galaxie were laid out and the frame was on the lift

On the opposite side there was now three special lifts that were big enough to park a large car underneath. In the first bay in the corner, the Bonta-kuns were on the lift with the space underneath open. In the next two slots the lifts were clear and the Sloth and Eleanor were each parked under them. Wade explained that once they started to expand operations, they would need the additional storage space.

Early Saturday afternoon, Ron was working on the engine, getting it ready for assembly. He had been taping, priming and painting the engine parts. He had painted things like the water pump, pulleys, timing chain covers black. The valve covers had been replaced with chromed covers and the exhaust had been sent in for powder coating to a high temperature resistant black. The only thing he had, had a chance to do on the block was taping and covering the openings.

He was nearly ready to start reassembly of the engine, except for one small detail. The engine parts had been returned from the speed shop and he found out that the crank to the 428 had stress cracks and had to be replaced. Roger had put out some calls trying to find a replacement., but they wouldn't hear anything before Monday.

Roger had come over that evening checking on the progress of the old car when he mentioned something that set off some fireworks. He asked Ron when he was going to enroll for the fall semester. Ron said he wasn't. That didn't go over well with two people. Namely Kim and Roger. Not surprisingly, it was Wade that found a way to break the stalemate.

When Ron said he hadn't "Been accepted." Wade countered with you don't have to be accepted if you're not using student loans or scholarships. If you're paying your own way admission was much easier. With a quick conference call to Ron's dad, they found out that Ron had a trust set aside from the royalties to pay for any good four year school.

Ron just about blew his stack though. When he closed his eyes and carefully asked when his dad was going to mention this important news, he was gritting his teeth, knowing what the answer was going to be. "But this is our way of telling you, son."

He was snarling through clenched teeth, "**Dad,** I'm gonna ask Wade to enroll me for an Associates Degree in General Studies. That'll cover most of the basics for whatever Bachelor's I decide to go for later. Release whatever money he needs to get it done. I'm coming over to talk to you and Mom tomorrow after I've calmed down, Dad. Now if you'll all excuse me. I need to go to the Dojo." Ron's entrance into the Dojo could be clearly heard by the breaking of sparring and training dummies.

That night Ron had Sousuke run him to Smarty Mart for an important purchase. When they got back Ron dumped the bags out on his bed and spent several hours before he went to bed on assembly and setup.

**********

Sunday morning, Ron asked Kim and Kaname to "Take Hana out for a girl's day." Then descended on the house of his parents with Sousuke in tow and Roger meeting them there. Roger and Sousuke weren't there to save Ron from his parents, but the Stoppable's from Ron. He asked Roger to alert him if he started to let his temper get out of control. Sousuke was his failsafe.

Ron looked Sousuke dead in the eyes and asked, "Dude, you got your Tazer with you." When Sousuke nodded, he said, "If I start to lose it in there, I want you to use it." They hadn't even gotten inside and Ron already felt his teeth grinding.

He set down with his parents and let them know in no uncertain terms, that by their actions, they had personally caused him no end of grief worrying about whether or not he would be able to go to college. For months he had worried about trying to get financial aid and scholarships. His dad tried to say that they wanted him to "Make his own way."

Sousuke caught the quick flash of blue in Ron's eyes and nearly Tazered him before Ron regained his control. "That's not the **point**, Dad! The point is, that you let me agonize for months over something when I couldn't see any way out. All you had to do was tell me about the college trust. I would have still tried for the financial aid and scholarships. But I wouldn't have had to spend God knows how many nights laying awake worrying about it."

"It would be like the two of you losing you jobs and spending six months trying to find the money to pay the mortgage. Then two days before the bank foreclosed, I suddenly popped up and said 'Oh here ya go. I've had this money set aside for the last year, just in case, ya know!' But if I'd have told ya before it happened 'Mom, Dad, God forbid that something that something happens to your job. But just in case, I've set enough money aside to take care of your mortgage.' It's that six months of aggravation you didn't have to deal with."

"I thought you'd learned better when you found out about Hana's abilities, but I guess not. So I'm asking you right here, right now: Do you have any other _major_ life changing information, decisions or events that could affect you, me or the family, coming up in the next six months? I don't want to come over for Temple one morning to find a 'Sold' sign in the yard and no forwarding address. I'd hate to have to try and track you down in Norway or something."

When he received two wide-eyed shakes of the head, he handed over the results of his purchase last night. "Now, 8-track tapes are a fad, pet rocks are a fad and so are lava lamps, although those are cool to watch. But these, they're not a fad! It's time for the two of you to join the 21st century. There's one for each of you." They were cell phones. Very simple, basic cell phones.

"Now, all these things will do is make and receive calls. No text, no music, no web browsing, no downloads, no pictures, no nothing. They're pre-paid, so there's no long distance fees, you've got four hundred minutes good for the next year. You hit any key and you can see you what YOUR number is. You get a call, hit the green key. You wanna make a call, dial the number, hit the green key. Your done with a call, hit the red key. Too easy! The point here is, I have a cell, now you have a cell. You have no excuses."

"You get a promotion at work sending you to Istanbul or something, call me. You find out a meteor getting ready to crash into Mt. Middleton, call me. If it's important, **call me!**"

Ron now looked at both of his parents, HARD. "Because I swear before God himself, if you ever drop something on me at the last minute and say the words, 'This is our way of telling you.' again….. I'll disown you!" Ron stood up and stormed out the door heading for the car with Sousuke following closely on his heels. Roger watched the retreating Ron, shaking his head.

Barbara looked at her brother, "Roger?"

"Barbara, you're my sister and I love you. But I gotta agree with the boy on this one. He told me that he found about your adopting Hana was coming home and finding his room changed into a nursery. Hell I knew about Hana before he did, I helped you move the rooms around." In a falsetto voice he added "_This is our way of telling you_. I've tried to tell the two of you for years that's a crock of shit. I'm surprised it took this long before he blew up. Half the neuroses that boy has came right from you two."

Roger looked at Dean Stoppable. "Just to make sure of something, don't try threatening the boy's college money to make him bend. Because if you do, I'll give him his cousin Aarons'. It's still sitting in the bank." He looked back at his sister. "I'll try to calm him down, gimme a couple a days. I'll call ya this weekend, Barb." He kissed her on the cheek and headed out to his truck.

**********

That Monday saw the start of another temper fest on Ron's part. The calls Roger had made had met with some success. There was a parts house that had another engine that had come from a wrecked pickup truck. But they wouldn't part the engine out, only sell it whole.

Roger and Ron talked about it and decided it might be handy to have a 'parts block'. Roger picked it up and had come over to help Ron with the Galaxie. Ron was now in the garage with the engine on the stand and he was trying to take the motor apart enough to get the crank out of the block. It wasn't cooperating and Ron's temper was rising in frustration.

The first thing he had done was turn the motor upside down and remove the oil pan. Once the pan was off, he locked the crank in place with several wooden wedges. Now he had to remove the harmonic balancer from the front of the crank. He had started off with a standard half inch drive breaker bar and socket. No Go, it was stuck. He went up to a three/quarter drive set. ANNNNNNGG. Then Ron got mad, he found a cheater pipe and slipped it over the 3/4 breaker bar and proceeded to pull. The stand fell over knocking Ron on his butt.

That was when Ron got upset. The rest of the watched from the sidelines as he chained the block to the hoist and left it hooked to the stand. Then he weighed the stand so it wouldn't move. Cussing the whole time.

"**OH HELL NO! YOU DIDN'T JUST…Think you got game you piece of racking smacking muther *^%$%#? Fall over on me will ya? Well it's time for a smack down in my town! I'll show you, you (^%$$###$%^&!!!!!!"**

Kim was truly surprised at Ron's range of invective. Some of it she didn't understand, but from the looks Sousuke and Kaname were wearing, it appeared to be Japanese.

Kim had started to approach the workbench to when Roger stopped her. "I wouldn't if I was you."

"But why, aren't _you_ going to help him."

"OH HELL NO! Ron's in vendetta mode. It's personal now."

He was standing in front of the engine in a pair of jeans and tank top, grimy to the elbows with sweat pouring off of him, beating the crap out of the recalcitrant bolt. He had the radio blaring while he was working and Roger's influence was definitely seen, or rather heard now. Kim had no idea who the group was, but the song had a powerful drum and guitar rhythm and the chorus was some woman screaming something about "Take another little piece of my heart now baby!"

Once Ron had everything set to his satisfaction, he reset the socket and breaker bar with the cheater pipe. Then from nowhere he pulled out a glowing blue eight pound maul and proceeded to wail away at the cheater pipe.

Ron was swinging in time with the woman wailing 'I want you to come on, come on, come on, come on' **"I'll" WHAM, "SHOW" WHAM, "YOU" WHAM!!" '**Yeah take it! Take another little piece o' my heart now Baby!'

Sousuke was looking at the scene before him when something clicked in his head. He looked at Roger and asked, "Sir, would it not be easier to use the impact wrench?"

Roger gave then a sly grin, "I convinced Ron the best way to work on these old hot rods would be to use hand tools. Gets ya use to having to do it the hard way. That way if something happens on the road, you gotta chance of fixin' it. It's also a workout! In the past two months his arms have grown at least an inch around the biceps and I know for a fact he's put on some upper body mass. Swinging a hammer and spinning wrenches 'ill do that to you.!" In the corner of his eye, Roger saw Kim gently nodding. He really wasn't one to hold a grudge, especially since Ron and Kim had made up, "I see that you've noticed that as well, Miss Possible."

She instantly blushed and about that time the sledgehammer shaped Lotus Blade rang against the cheater pipe and finally broke the bolt loose. **"That's Right! I Win! That'll Learn Ya!"**

Luckily the rest of the disassembly wasn't nearly as frustrating.

**********

The following few days Sousuke had to go to GJ to inspect, test and certify the new A.S. simulators. There was going to be a total of nine simulators to train the new G.J. Arm Slave troops with one of the Sims reserved for the instructor. The Sims were configurable to a variety of different machines, everything from former Soviet RK92's and Japanese Type 96's to current American M6's and, although no-one besides Sousuke knew it, Mithril's M9's.

Dr. Director thought it strange when he had requested she send him younger personnel as much as possible. He told her that the younger personnel would have fewer bad habits to unlearn and less reluctance for learning from a nineteen year old Staff Sergeant. Dr. Director acceded to his request, except that she insisted that there be at least one experienced Agent in each group as a Team Leader.

She had introduced the eight members of the first G.J. Arm Slave Team to its new instructor with the understanding of the Team's LT, that while she might _outrank_ the instructor, the instructor _out-authority-ed _her. Dr. Director let it be known that not even she could overrule the instructor. When it came to A.S. training, the Sergeant's word was law. The word of this got around quickly.

Sousuke spent several hours talking to Dr. Director about the curriculum, trying to find out what she wanted. Did she want the personnel to specialize in a single type of machine, like the Mithril SRT and American Special forces, or have a broad overview and ability to use different types of machines in an emergency?

Betty asked for a compromise of a general overview with emphasis on regional majorities. American GJ personnel would therefore get more time with the M6, Japanese based Agents would be given more time in the Type 96's and European Agents would see either German, French, British or Italian machines.

That was before she saw the Bonta-Kun in action

With a bit of programming, the simulators could mimic the BK's. A machine that seemed to fascinate Betty Director. She had asked Sagara for a demonstration with several Agents trying to "Take the suspect into custody."

Sousuke tried to defer the demonstration. When Betty asked him why, he said, "The contest is unfair." When Betty offered to use fewer Agents, Sousuke confusedly replied, "Commander, that would make the odds even worse."

It was then obvious to Betty they were not on the same page. "Alright Sergeant, what would you suggest?"

Sousuke was armed with low velocity bean-bag/chalk rounds for the 30mm shotgun and paintball rounds for the various handguns along with stun and smoke grenades and he offered to take on at least fifty Agents as long as they didn't use RPG's or anti-armor weapons. Sousuke even offered them the choice of battle ground. They chose to fight in a simulated office building.

The Agents were armed with everything from shock-watches and stun-staves, grenades ranging from stun and smoke to full up fragmentation grenades and M-4 and AK-74 assault rifles firing .556 rounds and 7.62mm ammunition respectively. They had failed. Miserably. And between the beanbag and paintball rounds, they had suffering a large assortment of bumps, bruises and contusions.

The bullets fired by the Agents bounced off. They couldn't over power the mini-mecha with either brute force or numbers. It was either too strong to overpower or too fast to overwhelm. And Sousuke had learned his lesson with the crazed Officer Wakana. He wasn't about to suffer through another Tazer attack inside the machine and had thoroughly insulated it from electrical shocks. Sousuke's greatest problem was making sure that when he used hand to hand techniques, he throttled the power back to what a human could withstand.

After seeing it in action, Betty could easily see the uses of the small machine. With a little bit of work they could be air droppable from a standard hover-jet in squads of three or four. She was practically wringing her hands in gleeful anticipation of dropping a force of 20 or 30 of them, with Team Possible and Sergeant Sagara on point, into Sheldon's latest hideout. "Let's see his Alphabet soup thugs deal with these! Not even his cyborg finger missiles will stop one. Just walk right up to him and punch him in the beak!"

She wanted to place an emergency procurement order with the company that made the Bonta-Kuns. That would take some doing though, because with Sergeant Sagara, the primary developer of the machines, being currently employed by G.J. made for a possible conflict of interest.

She took a day to go to New York and speak directly to the Security Council about it. She informed them that the Sergeant had no clue what she was there for. She brought with her the specs of the machines and videos of the "takedown attempt". The footage of the machine taking both point blank machinegun fire and hits from the visibly crackling stun staves, yet still advancing to non-lethally subdue the weaponeer was shocking to the members to say the least.

She reasoned that since Sagara not tried to influence her, other than acceding to her request to a demonstration, then "Conflict of Interest" was a moot point. When the French member tried to force her to find possible alternate bidders, she informed them that NO ONE in the world had a machine of comparable abilities even on the drawing boards, let alone readily deployable. They were also less then fifteen percent of the price of a full up American M6 and a tenth of Mithril's M9.

As far as they could see the worst aspect of the machine was its' goofy, amusement park mascot appearance. That was when Elizabeth Director looked around the table with a truly feral grin. "Gentleman, a tank looks like a tank, riot police look like riot police, but this thing looks like a huge stuffed toy. Which is more intimidating, one of these or a tank? And which would have more shock effect when it's turned loose on a bunch of criminals? You would expect a tank to take point blank fire, but how about this?" She brought up a picture of a huge yellow hamster standing on two legs wearing green vest and a Bowler hat.

Betty Director had made her point. She had to give up the purchase the five M6's she had originally planned, but she walked away with authorization to purchase twenty-five of the machines immediately and fifty more over the next two years.

Besides, for G.J. operations, the Bonta-kuns were a better option anyways. The full sized Arm Slaves would be more like using a sledge hammer to kill a fly. Betty was almost ecstatic when she got back and found out that there were twenty of the mini Arm Slaves, all of them with less then fifteen hours on the clocks, sitting in a warehouse in the Sengawa district of Tokyo, Japan. They would be on a plane in three days.

"Six months, brother mine! All I need is six months and the location of your lair. Then you're mine!"

**********

Betty Director wasn't the only one that seemed to have a fascination for the BK's. There was also a thirteen year old pre-pubescent genius who had taken to scribbling notes on every flat surface in his lab/living quarters using everything from pens and markers to burning them with a soldering iron. It was the soldering iron that got their attention when Kaname felt him 'Resonate' his frustration.

Once they found him trying to scorch plans into a tabletop, Kaname instantly took charge and for once Kim's 'Kimness' took a back seat. Kaname immediately sent Kim upstairs to grab all the paper and pens from the printers in the office. She sent Sousuke to Maximum Office for a case of paper and a gross of pens. Nobody argued.

He had spent the last two days in his Whispered trance with the rest of the Team standing watch over their youngest human member. Kaname was almost ready to have Sousuke call Tessa when he had finally dropped into a deep sleep. Kaname, as the closest they had to a Whispered expert, declared the worst was past.

Neither Kim, Ron or Sousuke had any idea what the notes, diagrams and schematics meant. Even Kaname, another Whispered, could only tell they applied to the BK's and some kind of micro Lambda Driver. When Sousuke heard about the possibility of a Bonta-Kun with a Lambda Driver, he didn't know how feel. Mithril had only one Lambda Driver and A.I. to operate it. The ARX 7 Arbalest!

If Wade could design and oversee production of others, it would take a huge load off of the young NCO. The problem was, no one knew better than Sousuke how temperamental a Lambda Driver could be. The blasted thing had failed him more than once. The problems of interfacing with the device was something he had only just started to overcome. And it had taken him two years to complete the bonding.

But maybe he could make the interfacing a lot easier for the next LD pilots. Because he had finally figured out the most important factor in the bonding process. No doubts! NONE! You had to have complete faith in your self, your abilities, your symbiotic partner and the device itself.

And it was also one of the reasons he almost despaired of Ron ever being able to make the Lambda Driver function. Ron had a deep seated, almost instinctive, self doubt. No matter what the appearances he might project. Everything he did or thought, he was second-guessing himself. You couldn't do that with the LD. You had to KNOW, not just in your head, but deep in your gut, that you could do it. And the slightest doubt would cause the Lambda Drive to flicker and fail.

**********

While Sagara was setting up the A.S. training that week, Kim found Ron with greasy hands as he worked on 428. Not that she had any idea what he was doing, only that he seemed to have grease to the elbows. The speed shop had put the crankshaft on a high priority and had returned it within 48 hours. When he saw her approaching, "Kim, you're just in time to give me a hand. Could you take the other end of the crank and help me set it in the block?"

She pointed at him saying, "I'd like to avoid getting that dirty if I can, Ron."

He held up a finger and sagely said, "Well first, I might be greasy, but I'm not dirty. I can tell you for a fact, there's not a speck of dirt near here. There's white lithium grease, oil, 'Break-Free' and a bunch a other lubes, but there ain't no dirt. Engines don't like dirt."

"Second, I have you a set of coveralls and some old sneaks in the locker. I could use the help. Last thing I wanna do is mess up _this_ crank."

"Alright Ron, just tell me what you need." Ron had her put on a set of coveralls that reminded her of the time she and Ron had tried to rebuild the Sloth the first time. The difference this time was Ron seemed to know what he was doing. And for the times he didn't he had a manual that he followed closely.

At every stage he referred back to the manual. Set the crankshaft in place, making sure not to mar or damage the main bearings. Check! Carefully torque the mains in sequence. Check! Turning the block over to carefully slide the pistons into the cylinders, using a ring compressor to seat the rings inside the cylinder walls. Check! And so it went.

About two hours later, Ron called a break. He showed Kim that wonderful stuff known as 'GoJo' w/pumice to clean their hands.

She told him, "I wish we would have had this stuff when we were working on the Sloth."

"That would have made it too easy Kim. Besides, I think you got the better of the deal anyway when the Tweebs rebuilt the Sloth into the 2.0."

"Yeah, I guess you're right there. Still, I'm surprised at you Ron! Please don't take this wrong, but you really seem to know what you doing. I don't think I've ever seen you this focused unless you were blue." When she said the word 'blue' it was with a slight look of confusion.

Ron tried to give her the hairy eyeball, he really did. When that didn't work, he got a pained look on his face and said, "You sure you wanna know?"

Kim had a feeling she wouldn't like this. Not because of anger or jealousy or anything like that. But because it would hurt. "I think I need to Ron."

Ron didn't look at Kim, but over the scattered part of the old car. "I started working on Elma Lee when I was hurting. Inside. Between Uncle Roger and Elma Lee, they were a ladder helped me climb up out of a really dark hole." Cocoa brown met emerald green. "When I started working on her, I kinda made a promise to finish her. And we both know how I am about my promises." He turned and started polishing the ratchet, sockets and wrenches as he set them back into the tool box.

She knew only too well what caused the hurt he was telling her about. Part of it was the Invasion. But a larger part had been caused by her and her inability to help either him or herself. To herself, she silently reaffirmed her vow. 'I will **never** let him down again.'

**********


	21. Synthodrone Surprise

Once again my Betas Cajunbear73 and Sentinel103 have come through with blinding speed. Sent this at about 2:00PM and they get it back by 5:00PM. Can you say "Out-freaking-standing! Thanks guys!

**********

The following weeks were a flurry of activity for the group, with four of them now enrolled in college. The classes varying from Kim's advanced course work and Kaname's slightly easier classes to Ron and Sagara's three-day-a-week schedules.

Wade pored over the notes left behind from his Whispered fugue trying to understand a technology more advanced then the Battlesuit he had built for Kim. He asked for and received permission to move a BK-Unit into his lab. Unless someone, usually either Kim or Kaname forced him out, he rarely left his laboratory/living quarters, except to re-supply his fridge with junk food and soda. There was one other thing he had do daily. He tried to get out of it, to utterly NO avail.

Sousuke reported to GJ headquarters on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the training of the new GJ Arm Slave units. He followed the curriculum he and Dr. Director had laid out. Basic Arm Slave overviews with an emphasis on certain machines. The first twenty Agents were specifically assigned to the BK's. None of the Agents were happy about the appearance of the machine, however, EVERYONE had heard about the fiasco of fifty Agents vs. one Bonta-kun. And the Agents getting their butts kicked by an eight foot hamster in a Bowler hat.

The only saving grace they could see was the Bowler had been changed to some kind of helmet that resembled the U.S. Armys new Advanced Combat Helmet. They still had the huge ears sticking out from the head. But since they contained several of the sensors there was no getting rid of them

The receiving of the BK's was a pleasant surprise to the young NCO for a variety of reasons. First he had despaired of ever selling the machines he had designed for almost the express purpose Dr. Director intended to use them for: low intensity conflicts and law enforcement. He truly believed the machines could save lives and resources of law enforcement agencies through out the world.

There was also the capital outlay that had gone into the research, design, production and modification of the mini Arm Slaves. They had cost him a fortune to get them into the field. With the sale of the 20 machines that had been sitting back in Sengwa he had just broke even, but with the prospect of 50 more over two years, he would net a tidy profit.

Kim was taking a full course load and had classes Monday through Friday. She also had labs two nights a week. Kaname was only slightly better off. Both of the young women were taking full advantage of the education opportunities they had been offered.

Ron had the lightest load scholastically of all of them, with a Mon, Wed, Fri schedule and no night labs. Didn't mean he wasn't busy. First there was Elma Lee. To say he was tired of bumming rides was an understatement. He wanted the car finished. NOW! When he wasn't in school or working on the car, he was training in the Dojo.

And if he wasn't training then he was cooking the meals for everyone. This didn't bother him because he had quickly discovered that while Kaname was quite good in the kitchen, Sousuke left something to be desired. It wasn't that his cooking was inedible, it was just very bland and plain. And Kim, forget it. Besides, to him cooking was relaxing.

Every morning they trained, including, much to his horror, Wade. Sousuke felt he had made some errors in the beginning of his stint as Kaname's bodyguard. Starting with a failure to make her an integral of her own defense. So now Wade was suffering through training the same as the rest of them.

It was Kaname that got through to him though by telling him some of the things she had been through and mentioning that it was only Sousuke, either through his own actions or the training he had given her, that had prevented either her death or mind-rape. Sousuke would teach him anything he could, including to Kim's dismay, firearms. But Wade had to be a willing, if not enthusiastic student. So Wade bore it with a petulant grace. To both Kim and Ron's surprise, he seemed a natural with a pistol. His big hands were easily able to handle both the Colt .45 and Glock 10mm. Sagara explained that Wade didn't have any bad habits to unlearn and he took the instructor's word as gospel. It was the hand to hand and martial arts training that threw him. He hated having to work out that hard, but at least it was only for a couple of hours in the morning

Something else that they trained on was A.S. operations. Once or twice a week, on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays, Sousuke trooped them down the transport tube that GJ had finally gotten around to installing. Inside the Sims he walked them through various A.S. models.

Kaname had an advantage at first, both because she was Whispered and she had had a lot more exposure to the machines. And once again, surprisingly, Wade seemed to be a natural and was right behind her. His affinity for hardware came to the fore with his innate understanding of both the limitations and abilities of the machines.

The gap didn't last long though as Kim's natural competitiveness forced her to improve. What frustrated her to no end was the fact that she couldn't touch Sagara when they strapped on the harnesses. Even if he was in a technically inferior machine. She was more than his match in the Dojo unarmed and had to taken to training both of the Japanese while Sagara focused on training Ron, mostly in either combat techniques or meditation/focusing exercises.

It was after one particularly frustrating encounter when Kaname drew Kim aside one morning after training and mentioned something to the effect of "Sousuke grew up with these things. He was fighting literal life or death battles in them when he was eleven and twelve years old. He is also one of the top rated pilots in Mithril. I can name four or five people off of the top of my head better than any of us, combined, _except_ Sousuke. That's why he's the trainer."

"Remember in the first encounter he had us fighting each other. I was able to beat all of you. Now I can only beat you half the time. And we've only be training a couple of weeks. Here's something to think about, Ronald started off at the bottom of the scoring. And while we've all gotten better. He's improved the most. In a few weeks, I think that Wade and I will be the bottom of the list."

Not that Kaname was happy about that. She had a competitive streak to rival Kim's. But over the last two years she had come to accept the fact that there were people better than her at doing things. She didn't like it, but she accepted it. And that didn't stop her from trying, it merely lowered her frustration levels.

**********

About ten days after their return from Porter's Corner, Drakken contacted them. After he had talked to Ron and Wade, he arranged a meeting in about a week. Both Ron and Wade were being tight lipped about the discussion. Training took on a whole new level when they arrived at the agreed upon location. At first, Ron and Wade were going to go alone with Sousuke to drive them there, but Kim and Kaname insisted they go along as well. Since it was just the five of them they rode over in Eleanor.

Upon entering the massive warehouse, Ron and Wade shocked Kim and Kaname by pulling out their weapons. Wade shucked the Glock Sousuke had sighted for him, jacked a round and pulled some extra magazines, slipping them to a more accessible pocket. Ron pulled the Lotus Blade, leaving it as a Katana. Sousuke went wide-eyed and immediately followed suit. He didn't know what was happening, but seeing the two arm themselves caused alarm bells in his head to go off.

Kim and Kaname were so stunned by the sight, they were frozen. Ron simply pointed to a booth just inside and told the girls "Girls, wait in there. And don't come out for anything."

Kim was flabbergasted, "What????"

"Please! Trust me, OK! We know what we're doing."

Kim snapped her jaw shut, looked into Ron's cocoa eyes and for once in her life followed _Ron's_ order. She grabbed Kaname and dragged her to the booth. Inside there were banks of monitors that showed almost the entire warehouse. On the back wall there were banks of computer towers that were wired into the monitors and had a couple of dozen wireless routers on top of them.

Outside Ron took a deep breath and shouted "GO!" From everywhere dozens of synthodrones appeared. From crates, from trapdoors in the floor, even dropping from the ceiling. They were all armed with Drakken's signature stun staves. Ron advanced into the swirling mass of synthetic humanoids hacking and slashing.

Wade followed behind him, carefully picking his shots, triple tapping as Sousuke had taught him. He didn't always hit, but between the three rounds aimed at each drone, he was able to either drop them himself or slow them enough for Ron to pick them off.

Sousuke hung back. After the first drone Ron had hacked into a puddle of goo, he had figured out this was some kind of a training tool. He only shot at drones that either Ron or Wade looked like they were going to miss.

Inside the booth, Kim and Kaname watched the monitors. They noticed that a bank of computers in the rear of the booth seemed to be recording everything. At first Kim thought that Drakken had double-crossed them. But Ron's telling her they knew what was happening gave her the clue. "Oh My God. It's a shoot house." She looked at Kaname and said, "Like the kind the military use where they use live ammunition. They have these towns, nobody lives there, where they practice things like forced entries and combat patrols with live ammunition."

As Wade had slapped in his last clip, he shouted, "Last mag!" Sousuke was right there. When Wade fired his last round, the slide locked to the rear and he said. "I'm out."

Sousuke stepped around the boy and shouted "I'm up."

Through it all, Ron kept twirling, slashing and cutting at the oncoming drones. Even though he was armed with a weapons centuries behind the firearms of the other two, he was much more effective at dropping the humanoids. The gashes to the torsos, severed limbs and decapitated heads, opened much larger goo pouring areas than the smaller bullets did.

After nearly twenty minutes, hundreds of rounds and dozens of synthodrones, they stopped coming. Ron and Sousuke were back to back and had Wade between them. Sousuke pulled a spare clip and passed it back to Wade. Wade slapped it home like Sousuke had shown him and the three shifted to allow Wade to cover part of the area. They stood back to back to back, watching to see if it was really over.

The rest of the lights started buzzing and came on. From a hidden door in the booth, there was a chime. A moment later the door opened revealing Drakken and Shego. Drakken walked in and as calmly as you pleased, gently pushed Kim to the side and said "Excuse me Kimberly Ann." He flipped a switch to a microphone and said, "Well, does it meet with your expectations?"

Kim was horrified when Wade hollered, "You know, that was more fun than Zombie Mayhem or Everlot! Let's do that again!"

**********

Kim was sitting there with a twitching eyebrow, glaring at Ron, Drakken and Wade. The only reason Sagara was being excluded was he had NO idea what was happening before they got there. Kaname wasn't amused either, but her frustration level was much lower because, first, Sousuke didn't know what was coming and second, as much as she hated to admit it, it was a good idea. Shego just leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, wearing a larger than her usual smirk.

Twitch "And you didn't tell us about this, why?"

Wade, like a normal 13 year old trying to pass the buck, piped up saying, "It was Ron's idea."

Twitch twitch "And you didn't tell us about this, **why**?"

"Well, uh, you see, it's like this, uhhhhh Drakken?"

"Oh no, I merely did as you asked. Don't try to include me in your little lover's spat."

At 'lover's spat' Kim blushed and regained control of her rising temper. Taking a breath she said, "Ron, I'm not mad, OK? I'm upset. Mostly because you didn't say anything and you, Wade and Sagara were out there with all those synthodrones. Now why didn't you say anything?"

"Well, because I wanted to make sure it was going to work first." Ron pointed at her with his index finger "And if you'll recall I tried to get you two to stay back at the base."

Kim really tried to find a fault there, but Ron was right. "That still doesn't excuse you for not saying anything when we got here, Ron. Seeing you out there with Wade and Sagara, not knowing what was happening scared the hell out of me. You all coulda been really hurt by those synthodrones."

Drakken seemed offended and said, "Not likely, Kimberly."

"What, I saw their staves from in here. They were live!"

"True, but at this level the effect has been dialed way back. It was mostly a visual effect. Oh you would have still gotten a nasty shock, but nothing like what you're used to. Just enough to let you _really_ know that you've been hit."

"Alright, that's the shock part of the staves, but what about the hits themselves. Those drones were swinging full force. Ron and Sagara have been there, done that, but not Wade. He's just thirteen."

Shego's smirk grew to monstrous proportions, but before she could say anything Drakken beat her to it. "And how old were _you_ when you started _your _missions?" Kim's jaw snapped shut again and Drakken continued, "Besides, what are synthodrones, how are they controlled? They're organic machines controlled by a computer program. They don't hit too hard unless the safeties are overridden. They can swing at you, full power, and still stop half an inch away. Or hit with just enough force to make certain you know you've been hit. You can even step the difficulty of the scenario up or down as desired, from target practice to lethal. Nothing like life or death to get your attention, eh?"

Drakken had his hands behind his back as he started pacing back and forth, "As your boyfriend mentioned when he asked me to set this up. They're the perfect training tool. He even recommended that I try to market the setup as a trainer to police and military forces. Since I'm trying to 'Go Straight' I still need a positive cash flow. And he only asked me for five percent of the profits, _after gross_, for the idea. Unfortunately, since he had your little tech meister record the entire conversation, I was forced to agree. However it'll only net him thousands" Drakken threw his hands into the air as his rant continued "but it'll make me milliiiiooons!"

"DREW, focus. Kimmie remember?"

"Oh right, thank you Shego."

"Anyway, as I was saying, with fifteen levels of difficulty, and this only being level four, neither your boyfriend nor your techman were in any real danger."

Kim still wasn't happy. She passed her glare to Ron. Twitch

"You're right, I should have told you and I'm sorry. I just wanted to make sure it was gonna work first."

They spent the rest of the day going over the various scenarios and settings and running through a few times. They discovered that there were enemy drones, neutral drones and allied drones. While running through the shoot house you had to take out the enemies while avoiding hurting the neutrals and allies. There were pure stealth missions and straight forward assault missions.

After watching a few missions, Kim had no choice but to call Dr. Director. She had to see this. The training potentials were beyond staggering. You could have full-up live-fire missions with mobile reacting enemies and neutrals and not have to worry about hurting bystanders.

When Betty showed up, she was skeptical at first, until she watched Sagara run through a POW escape mission where he first had to breakout of confinement, then either avoid or neutralize enough enemies to effect a full out escape. They had conceded his 'week' of planning and preparation and let him have the opening.

Betty asked Drakken what setting the system was running on. When he said 11 she asked what that meant. Drakken told her that for the proposes of the scenario the guards were very well trained and alert normal humans. They weren't superhuman, but they were comparable to the guards in GJ holding. Drakken could attest to the quality of those guards. The only reason he had been able to escape so often was Shego.

Betty watched from the control booth as Sagara first broke out and 'killed' the first guard by breaking his neck. Sousuke stole the guard's keys and weapons and proceeded to slaughter the opposition. He didn't bother with stealth at all. And while he didn't go out of his way to find enemies, avoidance seemed to be at the bottom of his priorities. If a guard came close they went down.

And Sousuke varied his methods causing 'confusion' in the ranks, forcing 'them' to think there was more than one escapee. This had the effect of thinning the forces against him as they spread out to cover more fugitives. And because they couldn't concentrate on one enemy, he only had to face twos and threes instead of squads of eight to ten.

Eighteen minutes and thirty-two seconds after breakout, Sousuke was clear and the computer gave him a better then eighty-one percent chance of escape. Behind him he had left a trail of dead that gave Betty the willies and even Shego was slack-jawed. In all of her escapes, no one had died. Lots of busted up people, but no deaths. And the first thing Sousuke did was drop the enemy permanently.

During the debreifing, he mentioned that since he had been a "Prisoner of War", that meant the guards were enemy combatants and should be treated as such. He stated that he would have used different, non-lethal methods had the scenerio been set in a civilian prison.

For Betty, it was a sobering performance by her subordinate that led her to the quiet decision to only turn him loose if she _really _had to. Another surprising piece of information came when she asked Drakken when he had gotten the idea of the shoot house. Imagine her surprise when he hemmed and hawed and finally pointed at Ron and said, "It was his idea, it's all his fault."

**********

It was a gloriously clear Saturday. The weather was beautiful, they were caught up on the homework front and, after taking the time last night, the common areas had been cleaned. Both girls knew their respective boyfriends had plans for them that evening. Kim and Kaname were going shopping at the mall in preparation of the evening.

They had just arrived, parked the car and were walking towards the doors when a van crossed in front of them. The side door opened to reveal several men wearing magenta uniforms with Greek letters on the front. They were holding some kind of ray guns or Tazers aimed at them when one of them said, "Get in!" Kim instantly shifted to mission mode, but before she could move, he held up a remote of some kind, "Surrender or the mall and its patrons suffer."

Kim recognized the goons of Gemini and the WWEE. She wasn't ready to risk innocent bystanders so she glanced at Kaname, who had shifted into a combat stance. She didn't like it and she could tell that Kaname wasn't happy about it either. They shared a look and decided to bide their time. They were no sooner onboard when they were searched. Both of their Kimmunicators were tossed to side of the road along with Kaname's BDA.

The men onboard the van thought they had made a clean quiet getaway and had at least few hours before the girls would even be missed. And they would have been right, except for one small detail: Kaname had driven Eleanor.

After immediately calling Sousuke, Eleanor engaged her covert pursuit mode. She followed the van to a deserted area where it was drawn into a hoverjet. Eleanor thought to herself, "Now that's just cheating." She passed the information to Sousuke and returned to the base.

**********

Ron was in the process of ripping apart one of the training dummies while screaming. He was in a blind fury after taking the Sloth to the location of the discarded Kimmunicator and Kaname's BDA and recovering them.

"Stoppable-san!" He turned to see Sagara standing there pointing a Tazer at him. "At the first hint of blue, I will drop you where you stand!"

"You bastard!"

"You need to calm yourself, Stoppable-san!"

"How the Hell do you expect me to do that? And how the Hell can you possibly be so calm? Kaname's missing along with Kim!"

The Tazer never wavered, "I am aware of that. And I am just as frantic with worry as you are. I'm calm because going on a rampage will merit the situation nothing. We have to be able to focus in order to find them. We need information, we need a location and we need a target. Once we have those, we can plan what to do. Now once the enemy is in sight is another matter."

"I have given Load-sensei the frequency of a locator beacon Kaname should have with her. For nearly any kidnapper, it would be an innocuous piece of jewelry. But if his sensors are as good as I suspect, then we will be moving in less then an hour. Will you be ready, or should I requisition more training dummies?"

Twenty minutes later, Wade had a location. He called for Ron and Sagara to meet him in the lab. It was the first time Sagara had been there and the first time he had seen BK-Unit 1 since Wade had brought it down there. The rear of the machine now had much longer fur in the back. It looked shaggy, like a long haired animal instead of a short fuzz it used to have. Sousuke shook his head. He was there for a mission brief to rescue Kaname and her companion.

Wade took a breath as Ron looked at him. "Ron, it's Gemini."

"That freak? Where we going and what's our ride?"

"I tracked that locator Sagara clued me onto. It led to a base in the mountains about a hundred and fifty miles to the north. I was able to get some overheads from a passing Russian bird. Can't take the Sloth, the terrain's too rugged to land. I also spotted some serious radar coverage, so we can't come in and land with a hoverjet. But there's a scheduled cargo flight that supposed to pass overhead in about 40 minutes. I was able to get them to shift their flight path off to the West and around the base. So we'll have to have the bird mimic the cargo plane's flight path to keep them from getting suspicious. Then we'll HALO from about 40,000 feet, hit the ground and.."

"Wait a minute, Wade. What's this we crap? You're staying here and giving us backup."

"They're my friends too, Ron! I'm going with you."

"No, you're not."

"Yes I am."

"NO, you're not!"

"YES I AM! They're my friends too!"

"NO, YOU'RE …"

"Stoppable-san!" When Sousuke had their attention he looked at Wade, "Load-sensei, where would you be able to provide the most benefit to the mission?"

"Well, I could be a lot of help onsite!" Grey steel just bored into the dark eyes of the young genius. "They're my friends, too!" The tech-guru sounded anguished. Kim had been his friend ever since he had taken over her website and he had bonded with the Japanese girl that had been showing him how to control his Whispered state.

Sagara just hammered him with those cold steel grey eyes asked him again "Load-sensei, where would you be able to provide the most benefit to the mission?"

Wade's shoulders slumped, "Here."

"Then where do you think you should be?"

"It's not fair, they're my friends too!"

"And we have a better chance of bringing them home safely if you're providing us technical support with all the resources at your disposal. Just because you're not going into the field doesn't mean your contribution doesn't count. You've seen the reports of some of the operations I was involved with in Mithril?"

Wade silently nodded. Sousuke put his hand on the boys shoulder, "Then understand this, none of those operations would have ever launched without personnel just like you. People that have never even seen the enemy, yet they were as responsible for a victory as the Soldier at the frontline."

"If you want to make a change in how you participate on missions, you will have to prove yourself. However once you do so, I will be your greatest advocate." Wade's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "But NOT NOW. This is a decision that should be made carefully and with a clear head. Not in the heat of crisis. For now, we need you here. Now how are we to get to close to the enemy?"

Wade was shocked by the Soldier in front of him. It sounded like Sagara had just said he was willing to allow him in the feild. Sousuke looked the teen in the eyes and nodded. Between the two of them, there was an unspoken agreement.

Wade turned and pulled the recovered Kimmunicators from a workbench. He plugged them into a terminal and uploaded several files. He handed them to the field agents in front of him. Then he activated a monitor and pointed out things as he talked.

"You'll have to HALO from 40,000 feet, you should try to land about here. There looks to be a blind spot in their coverage here, so you should be able to land unobserved. You'll move out from there to about here, there's a lot of thermal bloom so I think it's either a vent or an opening. I can't get you any better information until you get onsite. Once you get close enough, you can use the Kimmunicator to scan the area. Then…..

**********

"Please relax Kim-san" Kaname said very quietly.

"Grrr! How can I relax? We've been kidnapped, our Kimmunicators have been taken, your gun's gone and we're trapped in a room we can't get out of without some kind of distraction."

"Why did they take _your_ bracelet?" she kept the quiet voice.

"Huh? Because it's my Kimmunicator, same as yours was. That's how Wade contacts us."

Kaname gave Kim a significant look, then looked at the cot beside herself. Kim got the clue and took a seat. Kaname almost murmured forcing Kim to sit closer. "I see, I'm just glad they didn't take _my_ _bracelet_. It was a gift from _Sergeant Sagara_. He gave me a pair of _flash-bang earrings _at the same time. They were so cute. He's so _thoughtful_ like that. He always wants to make sure I'm safe."

Kim was starting to pick up on the emphasis. Her bracelet, Sergeant Sagara, not Sousuke, camouflaged flash-bang earrings, Sagara's pre-planning, HER BRACELET!!! "You know, We're going to need a good distraction to get out of here, Kaname."

Kaname looked at the clock just outside of the cell. "We were captured, what, about 2 and a half hours ago? We'll have all the distraction we could want in about thirty minutes. Sousuke should be arriving _soon_. Probably with Ronald-san. And depending on how aggravated he is, we'll just have to see what Sousuke's response will be. I hope for our kidnappers' sakes, he doesn't decide to use Al. That's not counting Ronald-san.

They talked quietly for a little longer when a large man with swept-back hair, a neatly trimmed goatee and a metal hand came into the alcove outside their cell. Kim immediately went into snark mode. "Hello _**S**_hel_**d**_on."

**********

Just before Sousuke dropped into the transport tube, he paused. Something was nagging at him. Ron watched him expecting him to drop. Sousuke went and checked the perimeter security cameras and couldn't find anything, but the buzz wouldn't go away. He spoke to Wade from the front of the tube. "Load-sensei, something is wrong. I'm not sure what. Would you do me a favor?"

"What do ya need?"

"Until we get back, get into the lab and hit the security lockdowns. This is too convenient. I suspect this may be a trap to pull your security away."

Ron's head popped up and looked at Sousuke. "You're right, this does feel kinda trappish. Wade?"

"I can always tag along!" Wade looked at Sagara to see cold, cold, cold grey steel. "Alright, I'll do it."

"Thank you."

They had taken the transport tube to G.J. base and commandeered a hoverjet and pilot, for once NOT Agent Du. He was off of suspension but was still grounded. The G.J. pilot was surprised by the assortment of weapons the infamous "Fifty-Agent Sagara" was laying out on the deck of the aircraft. He was going through each one, field stripping it, reassembling it, checking the action and making sure he had enough ammo.

The Agent was even more shocked by the "Sidekick". Ron was sitting cross legged, eyes closed with a VERY grim expression in meditation, holding a glowing blue Bo across his knees. That wasn't the shocking part to the Agent. The shocking part was that he was hovering about 6 inches above the deck.

Like most of the local Agents, he had seen the videos of Ron's Graduation and the Dementor mission from a few months ago, but this just drove home the difference between Ron and rest of the Agency. Unlike an unnamed 'Top Agent', he had come to the conclusion that Ron Stoppable was one man you DID NOT fuck with. And for the first time in his G.J. career, the Agent truly felt sorry for the bad guys.

**********


	22. Meaning Of Life

Chapter 22 Meaning Of Life

By Disturbed

A.N. As you can see it's update time. Cajunbear and Sentinel have come through again on the Beta/Proofreading duties. Thanks Dudes.

This next line came from the e-mail CB sent the proofed copy back in. He was talking about the listening to the song as he read it. "_I did and it made Ron's battle much more brutal when reading it_." Start listening where indicated.

The song can be found here: http://www dot youtube dot com/watch?v=S_KsM8pEh2A

The door opened and two young men looked at each other, both giving the OK signal. Ron didn't like the insertion plan he and Sagara had worked out, but he couldn't find any better alternative. The hoverjet was using the same transponder codes as the diverted cargo carrier. But the flight plan would only take them to within 5 miles of the DZ. Because it was daylight they couldn't open their chutes too soon or there was a good chance the WWEE goons might see them coming.

That meant they had to first freefall, aiming for the DZ, using the gliding suits like human-sized flying squirrels. When they got closer to both the ground and the DZ they could open the parafoil chutes to travel the rest of the way out of sight behind the bluff that hid the Drop zone from the lair's radar coverage.

Ron freely admitted that Sagara had a lot more experience with HALO jumps than he did and let the Soldier lead the way. When Sousuke gave the signal and popped his chute, Ron was only an instant behind. Both had looked over the clearing Wade had found for them using the commandeered Russian satellite overhead. But the best imagery is no match for Mark One eyeball when it comes to preparing for a landing of this nature.

Sousuke carefully watched things like the ripples of the pond on one side of the clearing, or the way the grass moved to make sure he had the wind properly factored into the landing. He came in from downwind and flared for a silent landing. Ron flared a little too soon and wound up hung in a tree, hanging about three feet from the ground. He was quietly grumbling when he saw Sagara looking at him in puzzlement. He quietly growled "What?"

In the same quiet tone Sousuke asked, "Stoppable-san, you have successfully performed a HALO jump from 40,000 feet and traveled over 5 miles to land on a DZ that is less than a quarter of an acre. And you are able to walk away with both yourself and your equipment intact. The mission is still viable. You have nothing be worried or ashamed of. I have had several jump finish the same way. Merely take this as a learning experience and remember not to flare for your landing so soon next time."

And it was that easy. That simple to change the "Quit playing around, Ron!" he expected to hear into a positive constructive criticism. Sousuke had made the point that Ron had made an error, but he had done it in such a way as to let him know that he had also successfully competed this phase of the mission. And for one of the few times in his life Ron Stoppable was speechless.

"Now hurry and get down so we can continue."

Ron wasted no time in shucking himself out of the harness and landing lightly on the ground. When they had hefted their packs, Sagara pulled out a map and a compass, took a sighting and headed off.

Ron had to ask, "Uhh, dude, wouldn't it have been easier to just use the GPS or call Wade?"

"Electronic devices can malfunction, communications can be either traced or tapped. But it's almost impossible for a compass to fail or an enemy to change the Earth's magnetic fields. And since we're not broadcasting needlessly, there's nothing for an enemy to lock onto. We'll have to contact Load-sensei just before infiltration though."

Ron couldn't believe there was someone better than Kim at sneaking up on the bad guys. He even knew of a villain that had done just as he had mentioned, scanning for the Kimmunicator frequencies: Zorpox! And if one could do it there might be others.

**********

Gemini, aka Sheldon Director, looked into the cell that contained the two girls. "Sorry for the tight quarters ladies. But I only expected to capture Kim Possible. Not Kim Possible and a guest. I'll have a secure area for you, Miss…..?"

Kaname glared at the one eyes man "Think I'd rather stay here!"

Kim interrupted Gemini's rejoinder, "Sheldon, you're so busted! Our boyfriends had plans on taking us out tonight. Now they're gonna have to come here and foil whatever whack scheme you've got going on! I think it's safe to say that you'll be looking at a new living space by morning." She looked at Kaname and asked "What do you think, an 8 X 10 foot cell?"

Kaname's eyes were utterly flat and her voice was absolutely deadpan, "That's if Sousuke doesn't kill him!"

"What's wrong with the two of you."

Kim just smiled, "I guess you didn't get the memo on Ron or his new running buddy. You're best bet is to just open the door and trade places with us."

"You're awfully arrogant for a couple of girls locked inside a cell!"

"Look, we don't have all day. So go ahead with your rant, tell us what your scheme is this time and go away."

"No scheme, Kim Possible. I just wanted you out of the way while I launch my assault against my sister's little hideaway."

"That's it? Fine, goodbye!"

"Just so you know, there are at least three guards outside the door at all times. So even if you do somehow manage to get out of the cell, you won't leave this room. Not for a very long time!"

"Whatever!"

Gemini seemed discomforted by the laissez-faire attitude of the two in front of him. He whirled and stomped out of the room the door clanging shut behind him. Kaname took a deep breath and sighed.

Kim looked at the other girl and said, "Don't worry about the boys, this guy is strictly low-ball."

"I'm not worried about them. I'm worried about our captors. Sousuke is _not_ going to be in a good mood."

"Well neither is Ron, but that's not that surprising."

Kaname had a habit of falling back into Japanese tense when she was under stress, "Kim-san, I'm concerned with how many of the enemy they might have to kill to get us out of here."

Kim's eyes widened as she snapped them to the other girl. The thought of Ron having to take a life again suddenly made her sick in her stomach and the flippant way that she handled Gemini suddenly tasted like ashes.

**********

After a forced march of about an hour, they arrived in the area of the thermal bloom Wade mentioned. Donning the glasses Wade had jiggered up for them they saw the rising thermal coming from a camouflaged vent. When they spotted it, Sousuke pulled out his ear bud and showed it to Ron. Ron got the point and stuck his in his ear and fastened the throat mic in place. They worked out a fast code of radio clicks.

Sousuke had Ron wait for his signal, then he vanished. It was almost like watching the ninjas at Yamanouchi. A few minutes later he saw the Soldier reappear near the vent. Sousuke carefully pulled out the Kimmunicator and contacted both Ron and Wade. Wade got the message that they were in silent mode.

Sousuke had him scan the entrance for sensors or traps. Not finding any made Sousuke more suspicious than normal. He got down on the ground and carefully looked ahead. Barely glittering in the half light was a monofilament line. He traced it to a junction box that was wired to a series of cameras. The line was there to activate the cameras and since the cameras weren't drawing any power, that made them very hard to defeat.

Unless you were a suspicious bastard like Staff Sergeant Sousuke Sagara. Once you knew what to look for it was an easy matter to step over the line and enter the vent. Sousuke signaled Ron forward and wordlessly pointed out the tripwire.

Ron risked a few seconds of verbal communication with Wade, "Wade, can you tap into the security system from here?"

Wade had Ron pull a jumper and transmitter from his kit and install it on the cable coming from the junction box. He had Ron extend the antenna from the transmitter outside the vent and partway up a tree. It allowed Wade to both tap the security systems and use the wiring inside the lair as an antenna, maintaining communications with his field agents.

Once he was in the system, he had some bad news and some good news. Over the ear buds they heard, "Alright, bad news first, Gemini has really stepped up his security. I can't shut the security systems down without alerting the goons monitoring it. I can't even force the system to not 'see' you. But what I can do is give it so many false positives that they either have to shut it down or listen to alarms every 30 seconds. I can start the alarms whenever you're ready."

"Load-sensei, since you are tracking us, you'll know when we set it off, correct?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Wait until we have no choice, then set off the alarms in several widely spread out locations…."

"And force them to react to all of them at the same time. That's brilliant!"

"We are going to take a moment to catch our breath, we'll contact you in a few moments." Sousuke pulled the ear bud and throat mic off and turned the Kimmunicator off. Then he looked at Ron. Neither of them were even breathing hard, so Ron got the idea that Sagara wanted to talk without Wade being able to listen in.

Once Ron had done the same, Sousuke took a breath and said, "Stoppable-san, we have several options for the mission. One or the other of us act as a distraction while the other infiltrates to free the girls. We both try to infiltrate using stealth, free them and fight our way out. Or we can both try a straightforward assault to smash through the enemy before they can react. Since you know their habits better, what would you suggest?

"Well, when me and Kim busted them up, we would try and get as close as we could. Then I usually ran around screaming, getting them to follow me and Kim would try and give the goons a beat down. Whoever got closer would try and blow up whatever ray-gun or doomsday device Gemini had in there. We haven't had to rescue any hostages before."

"How dangerous is the enemy we are about to face."

"No more so then the rest of Kim's rogue's gallery, why?"

"Then unless things have drastically changed, there should be no need for lethal force, correct?"

"No, not really."

"Stoppable-san, you are angry and upset at Possible-sans kidnapping. If you're not very careful, you could allow that fact to color your actions inside. I have to ask you. Can you honestly control yourself enough to only use necessary force?"

Ron knew Sagara was asking him a very serious question. And the honest answer was, he wasn't sure.

The Kimmunicator started vibrating and wouldn't stop. It was Wade's emergency signal. Slipping the buds and mics back into place, Ron answered "Go Wade."

"Guys, I was snooping around the system and I found out some really bad news."

"Aww, man! What now?"

"It seems Gemini is getting ready to launch a major strike against the G.J. base here in town. It's set to go in about 3 hours, right at dusk. Something like 20 plus hover jets loaded with WWEE Troops."

"DAMN, call Dr. B and let her know. We'll see what we can do to throw a wrench in his plans from here."

"I already let her know. She's scrambling Agents as we speak. They should be onsite in about an hour."

"Hopefully we'll have him shut down by then. We'll call you in a bit to let ya know."

"Alright, I'll contact you if anything else comes up. Wade out."

"Looks like we'll have to go old school on this one. I'll play the distraction and you rescue the girls."

Sousuke looked at him intently and said, "My question from earlier still stands. Can you control your self enough to only use necessary force?"

"I guess we'll have to find out the hard way. But between Kim and Kaname being prisoners and Gemini's attack on G.J., I'm not going to hold back too much. If they try lethal force, then that's what they're gonna get. If they don't…we'll see. But I make you no promises about Gemini himself. That's one dude I'm gonna lay some serious smack monkey on."

Sousuke could see that was the best he was going to get, so he asked the next question, "Do you think you can create enough of a distraction to gain the attention of the entire base?!"

Ron just looked at the Soldier with a feral grin, "Let me worry about that. You just get to the holding cells and get ready to get the girls out. Get me about three or four minutes after you get my signal to move."

"You will contact me over the coms?"

"Not exactly, don't worry, you'll know it when you hear it. Just give me a double click when you're in position" Ron ghosted to the vent about thirty meter down the shaft and climbed in. The last thing Sousuke saw was Ron's feet disappearing through the vent. He headed to the vent that Wade indicated led to the lower parts of the lair and moved towards the holding cell.

Twenty minutes later Ron was in position to disrupt the impending WWEE assault and Sousuke had moved into a spot to affect the escape of the girls. When he had a clear view of the cell door, Sousuke double clicked his com giving Ron the go ahead.

_**Meaning Of Life by Disturbed**__  
_http://www dot youtube dot com/watch?v=S_KsM8pEh2A

Ron landed in the middle of the hangar with a resounding boom that shouldn't have been possible for his light frame. His landing caused a small crater and raised a dust cloud that at first hid his appearance from the assembled WWEE goons and aircraft techs.

He stayed crouched for a minute until they started to come closer to investigate. When the cloud parted enough for them to finally see the Warrior that had landed in their midst, Ron screamed and started twirling the Bo shaped Lotus Blade overhead and crashed into the first of the goons. The Mystical Monkey Power in full effect, hair floating and eyes blazing, the Warrior slammed into the gathered forces like a tidal wave.

_  
Get psycho, I wanna get psycho  
Get psycho, I wanna wanna wanna wanna, I wanna get psycho_

Run you little bitch  
I want your power glowing, juicy flowing, red hot, meaning of life

_It's not enough to have a little taste  
I want the whole damn thing now  
_

_Can you **dig it**?  
_

As he mowed them down he moved towards the prepared hoverjets. When he got within range of the craft the Lotus Blade shifted to a naginata and Ron proceeded to slash and hack at the aircraft rendering them useless. When one of the goons got too close, the Blade either flashed back to a Bo or Ron used the blunted end to send the enemy sailing away from him.

The lucky ones were knocked unconscious. The rest suffered from an assortment of broken bones, busted noses and cracked ribs. They were tossed around like leaves in a tornado, being slammed into the aircraft or the lockers lining the wall, if they were lucky. The bare rock if they weren't.

_  
Need to get psycho  
wanna hear you say it  
say, you want it, need it  
_

_Don't wanna wait until we finish the show  
It's not enough, you hunger for more  
_

_You're one twisted little fuck  
And now you wanna get psycho with me  
_  
It was the hydrogen fuel tanks that got the attention of the rest of the base. Ron had spotted the refueling hoses on the other side of the hanger. He heaved the Lotus Blade across the hanger and it transformed into a full sized medieval Battle Ax. It hit the pressure regulator and caused the tanks to overpressure themselves. When that happened it was only the "Henchman's Union" that saved the lives of the minions of Gemini. H.U. required that there be blowout panels wherever there was the chance of just such an emergency

BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!!

_Give in, give in, decide, give in,_

_Give in, give in, decide, give in,_

_Give in, give in, DECIDE, give in,_

_Give in, give in, DECIDE, give in,_

Deep within the base the explosion rattled the bars and caused dust to fall inside the cell. Kaname looked around and said, "Either Sousuke has arrived in Al or Ron's really upset." A few minutes later, from outside the door was the sound of grunts and bodies hitting the door, walls and floor. A moment later the door opened and Sousuke entered carrying the key to the cell. "I guess it's Ron!"

Sousuke unlocked the cell door and wordlessly presented Kaname with her BDA. He also passed Kim her equipment belt and set his pack on the floor. "There is mission clothes inside." His manner was very brusque and abrupt, wasting no time on a reunion with Kaname.

_Get psycho, I wanna get psycho  
Get psycho, I wanna wanna wanna wanna, I wanna get psycho_

Scratch my itch  
Give me your power glowing, juicy flowing red hot, meaning of life

_It's not enough to have a little piece  
I want the whole damn thing now  
_

_Can you **dig it**?  
_  
Sousuke ducked back outside the door to afford them the privacy to change and to watch for incoming enemies. Inside the pack they found mission clothes in their sizes, including their boots and Kimmunicators, There was also something in the pack that would merit Sousuke an extra close cuddling session once they got home. They quickly changed, putting their good clothes inside the pack, which Kim shouldered. Then they opened the door to see Sagara standing there like he was one of the guards.

He nodded and said "This way!" and took off down the hallway trying to signal Ron over the coms "Stoppable, Sagara, recovery complete. Extracting now!….Stoppable, Sagara, come in… Damn, he's not answering."

BOOOMMMM!!

None of them flinched at the noise, but Kim observed, "It seems he's still mobile though!"

_Need to get psycho  
Wanna hear you scream  
_

_Tell me to take you, scare you, fuck you  
After we finish the show  
_

_It's not enough, you listening whore?  
You're one twisted little fuck  
_

_And now you wanna get psycho with me  
_  
They traveled through the corridors following the schematics Wade had pulled from the security system. As they went, Sousuke continued to try and contact Ron without results. Along the way they ran into a few guards that he let Kim or Kaname handle as he guarded the rear. Kim would use various Kung Fu techniques. Kaname on the other hand was just brutal. Sousuke had packed her Halisen. That nearly forgotten sturdy paper fan that she had used to good effect when 'teaching' Sousuke. You wouldn't have thought it to look at it, but Halisen was able to send the guards flying.

_Give in, give in, decide, give in,_

_Give in, give in, decide, give in,_

_Give in, give in, DECIDE, give in,_

_Give in, give in, DECIDE, give in,_

_  
_Back up at the main levels, Ron slammed into the doors separating the hangar from Central Control. He saw Gemini standing up on his pedestal like some kind of overlord.

"GEMIIIINNNIIIIIII!!!"

He was trying, he really was trying not to lose control. It was a near thing though, because all the Mystical Monkey Warrior within him knew was the enemy had taken his Mate and Troop Sister and it screamed out for retribution. The Warrior hammered through the incoming minions to get to the one truly responsible for his being there. The large, one eyed, metal handed human on the pedestal that had the audacity to think he was better than the rest of the world.

_I can feel the blood, flowing through my veins  
Spilling on my soul  
_

_And now the hunger's getting bigger  
Come a little closer now pretentious whore and pull my trigger  
_

_Free the violence that is building in me  
I say now end of the ride, murder suicide  
_

_Is how I've been feelin' lately  
_

Sagara, Kim and Kaname had worked their way through the guards to enter the room from the other side and completely blindsided the goons in their way. The Warrior noted the arrival of some of the other members of his "Troop", including his Mate, and hooted a greeting. He turned back to the task of dealing with the enemy in front of him.

_Come a little closer my pretentious whore I'm living with a feeling that I can't ignore  
Come a little closer my pretentious whore I'm living with a feeling that I can't ignore  
Come a little closer my pretentious whore I'm living with a feeling that I can't ignore  
And the need to get psycho is not a question to me  
_

By now Gemini had figured out he had made a critical error in who to target on Team Possible. Between the group on one side dropping anyone that came within range and the 'Unstoppable' sidekick on the other literally launching men two, three and even four times his size into the terminals and other equipment, the minions morale had fractured beyond all recovery. They were now trying to run and escape from the hurricane that had been loosed in their midst. All they wanted to do was make it to the escape pods. Gemini tried threatening them to stand and fight but they weren't having it.

_Get, get, get, get, get psycho  
Get, get, get I wanna get psycho  
Get, get, get, get, get psycho  
Get, get, get I wanna, wanna, wanna, wanna_

_Get psycho (Psycho)_

_Get, get, get I wanna get psycho (Psycho)  
Get, get, get, get, get psycho (Psycho)  
Get, get, get I wanna get psycho _

_I wanna, wanna, wanna_

Gemini tried to launch a spread of finger missiles only to have The Warrior turn the Lotus Blade into a shield. When he saw that wasn't working he launched another spread at the otherwise occupied group of Sagara, Kim and Kaname. The Warrior howled a warning and jumped to protect them. He wasn't really worried about the Mate or the Brother, but the Sister hadn't demonstrated the ability to avoid the incoming fire.

He got there just in time. The missiles hit his shield and knocked him down, but Sister was safe. He looked back at the pedestal to see Gemini enter an escape pod and the door close behind him. The Warrior screamed his rage at losing his prey. He leaped to the door of the pod and cut through it only to discover it had already launched.

"GEEEMIIINNIIIIIIIIII!!!!"

**********


	23. Wade's Home Alone

Chapter 23 Wade's Home Alone

As usual, kudos and shouts to the Beta Team/sounding boards of Cajunbear73 and Sentinel103

Wade was scanning through the data coming over the link Ron had set up for him. He came upon a file marked High Priority. Going through it he found the schedule for a flat out assault against Dr. Director's base here in Middleton. It even laid out the fact that there was supposed to be a scouting mission against a base topside to gain entrance to the main base. That way they could open the doors from the inside and not waste time forcing the doors.

He broke into her secure comm channels and within seconds had the one-eyed visage Elizabeth Director glaring at him, "Dr. Load, I assume you have a good reason for hacking my terminal. Before I send Agents to take you into custody and I turn you over to your parents, you have thirty seconds to get my attention. Starting now!" She slapped a small timer on her desk and the second hand started moving.

"I need a couple of warrants against one of Gemini's bases about a hundred and fifty miles to the North of us. Exact coordinates to follow. So far I have two counts of kidnapping: names are Kimberly Ann Possible and Kaname Chidori. You can add in a few dozen counts of cyber-spying on your operations. I also have information that he's planning to hit your base in a few hours."

Slap. "You have my full attention, continue."

Wade laid out what had happened in the last few hours, only leaving out the fact that Sagara had agreed to work with him to change his status on the Team. Betty had a raised eyebrow at the fact the two young Agents had commandeered a hover-jet without informing her, but since she had given them exactly that sort of authority, she couldn't squawk too much.

When he finished, she said, "I'll scramble the base. It'll take a bit for us to secure the facilities for an assault, but I think we can be onsite there in about an hour. Could you pass the word to Sagara and Stoppable?"

"Consider it done, Load out."

Wade changed frequencies and sent the emergency signal to the Kimmunicators. Ron's voice sounded tinny because of the throat mics they were wearing, _"Go Wade."_

"Guys, I was snooping around the system and I found out some really bad news."

"_Aww, man! What now?"_

"It seems Gemini is getting ready to launch a major strike against the G.J. base here in town. It's set to go in about 3 hours, right at dusk. Something like 20 plus hover jets loaded with WWEE Troops."

Ding-ding, Ding-ding, Ding-ding, Ding-ding. Wade thought, 'Perimeter alarm?' Wade cycled through the images coming from the security cameras and saw a couple of squads of men in the distinctive magenta uniforms of WWEE. 'Topside base! That was here. They think they can bypass the security of the GJ tubes by sneaking into them here.'

"_DAMN, call Dr. B and let her know. We'll see what we can do to throw a wrench in his plans from here."_

Wade kept the tension out of his voice because he didn't want the other two to lose focus on what they were supposed to be doing. "I already let her know. She's scrambling Agents as we speak. They should be onsite in about an hour."

"_Hopefully we'll have him shut down by then. We'll call you in a bit to let ya know."_

"Alright, I'll contact you if anything else comes up. Wade out."

When Wade signed off with Ron, he brought up the audio as well as the visuals from the cameras. He heard them murmuring into some kind of commo headsets. He quickly brought up the sensors to try and intercept the signals. He flipped through the frequencies and found them using only a commercial grade encryption.

He had a quizzical look for a second. As he cracked the encryption he was thinking 'Idiots!'. Suddenly the signal was clear and he heard them talking to each other. "….alright. Now there's only one little geeky computer nerd inside. Gemini wants him captured before we drop through the tubes to the Geee…enemy base…."

Wade was muttering to himself the whole time, "Little geeky computer nerd, huh!" He cracked his knuckles and flexed his fingers. Working quickly, he disabled the exterior defenses. The spider didn't want the prey to escape before they were too deeply trapped in the web. Once the exterior defenses were down, he set the interior defenses to manual and sent the activation signal to the three BK's that remained in the garage.

"Haven't you idiots ever heard the saying, 'Better to disturb the lion in his den, rather than the scholar amongst his books.'. This is my house, Dammit!"

He lowered the lift they were stored on and had them move to the weapons locker and gather the non-lethal ordnance. Including the new additions to the arsenal he had thought up. When they were armed, Wade sent them to different positions in the garage where they could both cover each other and have nearly the entire garage in a crossfire.

"Grumble, grumble, Like Ron would say, it's time for a smack down in my town!"

Once the BK's were in position, Wade had them settle into a high stand-by. They wouldn't be nearly as effective unmanned as they would be with a pilot on board, but they would do just fine as semi mobile firing platforms. While he had the BK's arming themselves, he had Eleanor and the Sloth shifted to the top of the other two lifts to get them out of the lines of fire.

And just in case they got this far, Wade put on the Interceptor body armor Sousuke had fitted to him, pulled the Glock from the attached shoulder holster, checked the magazine and slapped it back home. He jacked a round into the chamber and returned it to the shoulder holster.

"Grumble, grumble, The Athenians were geeks and scholars, too. But they were also Warriors!" Doctor Wade Load hunkered down in front of the terminals and muttered, "Let's Rock!"

The trap was now set and the spider only had to wait for the prey to walk into it.

**********

Ding! An hour and three assault attempts later, the freight elevator doors opened and Doctor Wade Load strode into the garage to survey the carnage. He pulled his pistol out of the shoulder holster of his body armor and pointed it at the ground, finger outside the trigger well.

The enemy had tried to enter through the main ground floor entrances as well as the upper residential sections. But no matter what, since Wade had locked the elevator downstairs, they had been forced to try and secure the stairwell to the basement in order to get to the transport tube. This brought the enemy right into Wade's lines of fire.

Wade looked around and in a clear, ringing voice asked, "Does anybody else wanna play?….No?…..Then as a duly authorized Global Justice Reserve Agent, you're all under arrest for charges ranging from Breaking and Entering and Burglary to Attempted Kidnapping and Espionage, which since you were captured on American Soil, can carry the Death Penalty."

"You have the right to remain silent, You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning, If you can not afford one, one will be provided…." Wade continued reading the Miranda Right's to the prisoners with a very smug, self satisfied grin.

**********

It had taken a lot of fast talking on the part of both Kim and Sagara to calm Ron down before he leveled the rest of the WWEE base. Gemini's escape had him in an almost murderous fury. Kim knew that Sheldon Director had just elevated himself to the 'Top Five' of Ron's smack down countdown, surpassed only by Lord Montgomery Fiske, aka Monkey Fist and whoever was behind the Nazi threats to his family.

The Team had gathered the prisoners together and tied them up in the middle of the hangar. Sagara found the highest ranking individual, who turned out to be 'Agent Delta', and put him in charge of Prisoner Affairs.

Each of the merely bruised was hooked to a more severely injured man. Kim, Kaname and Sousuke had treated the injured as best they could, while Ron was working off his frustration by shredding all but one of the remaining hover-jets in front of the captured WWEE personnel. They clearly got the message that if they tried anything, Ron would stop shredding the hover-jets and start shredding prisoners.

The last, and least damaged of the aircraft, Kim had reserved for them to take home. She knew that it would be hours before G.J. would able to give them a ride. Using his experience with Arm Slaves, Sousuke started repairing the damage to the last hover-jet Ron had caused during his assault. With the help of Agent Delta, Sousuke tracked a couple of the Hangar techs and got them to check the repairs and refuel the craft from the surviving hydrogen stores.

Sousuke ensured their cooperation by telling them, very quietly and deadpan, "My teammate over there," he pointed at Ron hacking away at one of the hover-jets across the hangar, "would most likely survive any crash we would be involved in. And he would also most likely blame _you_ for said crash. He holds a very high clearance within the organization that will be taking you into custody. If you do not wish him to pay you a visit in the holding cells, you should insure this craft is completely airworthy." They fell to it with a will. By the time they took off back to Middleton, they were flying one of the best running hover-jets in the WWEE inventory.

They called Wade when they were airborne and let him know they were on the way. The Team had a few tense moments when Wade took a few minutes answering. Especially since he didn't give them the "All Clear" signal. Instead they got "Everything's under control here, so land on the roof. But be on your guard when you come in." Kim poured on the speed.

**********

"I called G.J., they should have prisoner transport here in an hour or so. Meantime, I'd just leave them like they are."

Sousuke stood there, wide-eyed, looking from the pinioned goons to the smug little, body armor wearing, genius standing beside him, then back at the goons. Wade, goons, Wade, goons. Looking at the goons and shuddering Sousuke finally found his voice, "Load-sensei, you are an evil, evil person! It would have been more merciful to just kill them!"

Ron was looking at the WWEE men with a horrified expression, "I'm kinda with Sagara on this, Dude. We may have to revoke your 'Guy Status', because that's just wrong. I mean there are some things you just don't do to another guy. Like, you don't kick them in the nads! It's just not done. And no guy should have hair with that much body."

Thrashed and bruised bodies littered the garage, pinned to the floor and walls by a gelatinous pink goo: Wade's special mousse. All had their hoods pushed up by their hair. They looked like they had a 70's retro "Fro". The goo had them secured so well they effectively couldn't move fast enough to escape before the BK's standing guard could either fire the beanbag rounds, hit them with Tazers or even worse, more goo!

Kim, having experienced the mousse before, was leery of even going near the stuff. "Well, I don't know about mercy killings, but that's not right. Wade how could you?"

The little genius looked at his friend shrugged and said. "I didn't use the mousse until the third assault. Before that it was Tazers and beanbag rounds and before those, it was only the beanbag rounds. They coulda left at any time. Nobody comes into our house uninvited."

Ron noticed something about then, "Wade!? There's goo on my car, Wade!"

"Uh oh! Uhh, Don't worry, Ron. It's water soluble."

Ron hustled over to the Galaxie and looked into the empty passenger compartment, "Wade! There's goo _in_ my car!"

"Ron, I'm sorry! I swear I'll clean it up. All I need is a hose."

Ron was frantically looking over the three/quarters assembled Ford. The body parts had been returned from the media blasters and Ron had painstakingly filled any place that had corrosion, sanded and formed the fill, reassembled the body, priming everything and carefully applying undercoating to the insides of the fender wells and bottom of the car. He was in the process of wet sanding the rest of the body, in preparation for painting.

He had replaced the solid rear axle with an independent suspension and rebuilt the Dyna-track differential, along with replacing the old drum brakes with new 11 inch antilock discs. Right now the Ford was sitting on the old steel rims and dry-rotted tires. But there was a new set of Crager American SS Classic rims and new tires waiting to be mounted. She even had new glass and rubber gaskets in place.

When he had finished the engine assembly, he set it in place and mounted the hood. Then he carefully marked out where the new super-charger would hit, cut out the opening for it and, with Roger's help, tack welded in a hood scoop. Once the scoop was fitted and ready for final welding, Ron pulled the motor back out and set it back on the engine stand so the sparks from the welding and grinding wouldn't damage it. When the engine was clear, he and Roger finished welding and grinding the hood to a better than factory look.

One of the hardest things he had done was installing a oval tube roll bar. All he had left was the new wiring harness, stereo installation, finish sanding the body, final paint, upholstery work and installation of the interior panels and trim pieces, seats and some dash work. There was also installing the engine, tranny and exhaust system.

Depending on the paint shop and upholstery shop, the car could be finished in two or three days. The exhaust was ready to be mounted from the wastegates back, including the leg pipes. There was only two things left to do before the engine and transmission could be mounted in place. Painting the engine bay, which would happen during final paint.

As for the other……

Ron's head snapped to the back of the bay where Elma Lee rested. "THE ENGINE. Wade, there's goo on the engine! I was about to have the engine dynoed!

"Ron calm down, all I need is a hose and I can fix everything."

Before Ron could say another word, Kim interrupted, "Ron, it was this or Wade getting kidnapped."

"But it was only my car that got gooed!" Ron pointed to the other two vehicles sitting pristinely on top of the lift racks. "The Sloth didn't get gooed! Eleanor didn't get gooed! Only mine!"

"It's no problem, Ron! I swear, all I need is a hose."

"No, you don't. You can't just spray the engine down. And it's not the outside I'm worried about. We have to at least take the carburetors off and make sure nothing went inside the intakes." Ron leaned down, crowding the young genius, "Wade, Roger's coming by in the morning to pick up the engine and take it to the dynamometer. It will be ready! You will help me! Understand?"

"Sure thing, Ron."

Ron turned and pulled the wrenches and sockets to start the process of removing the three Carter 2bbl carburetors while Wade grabbed a trash can and started picking up the muck that was layered on top of the 428 CobraJet.

Two hours later, they were securing the last Carter 2bbl to the intake. It was a good thing Ron insisted they pull the carbs because the mousse had dripped into the bottom of the intake through all six venturis. Wade produced a fiber optic camera that they could use to follow the rest of the intakes and make sure they had gotten all of the gooey mess without having to pull the intake itself, saving them at least an hour.

About halfway through, the G.J. prisoner transport arrived and one by one the prisoners were pulled from the goo and loaded into a transport truck. Kim, Sagara and Kaname helped keep the prisoners from escaping while Ron and Wade continued working on the motor. Kim was glaring at Ron the whole time.

When they finished, Ron was wiping the last of the wrenches and setting them in the tool box when he glanced at the teenager helping him. Sigh, "Wade, I'm sorry I lost my temper. But I swear, it seems like I just start to have things go right and something comes along and smashes it. Frustrating isn't even close to the word."

"I know Ron, and I'm sorry for…"

Ron held up a finger, waving it back and forth, interrupting him, "No! It wasn't your fault. You just did what you had to do. It was Gemini's fault. If he hadn't tried to kidnap Kim and Kaname and tried get his men in here, none of this would have happened. Me and Kim would have had a nice dinner; none of us woulda had to cook. We could've gone to that dance club near campus and maybe gone for a drive afterwards."

"But I don't blame you, Wade, and I'm sorry." Ron's voice turn from apologetic to cold fury. "I blame Sheldon. I'll just add this to the list of reasons to kick his ass the next time I see him."

Ron regained his temper and said, "Come on, I'll make us some snackage!"

**********

In the security alcove, emerald eyes watched the exchange. They were watching to see when the pair would finish with the task they were working on. The eyes lost the anger they held since Ron had freaked on Wade a couple of hours before.

Since Ron had apologized and Wade accepted, she had no reason to let him have it. Which was how she wanted it. She didn't want to be mad at her beau and since he had figured out what he had done wrong and corrected it, she didn't have to. She walked into the living room to find Ron had called Sagara and Kaname there and was in the process of calling her. When they assembled he repeated his apology to them as well.

**********

The next morning, Roger arrived in his beat up Ranger and he and Ron, with Sousuke's help, set the big Y block into the bed of the truck. While Kim was looking at Ron as he finished bracing the motor, she made an off-handed comment to Kaname "…be nice if the car was ready for Ron's birthday on the 24th. But that only gives him two weeks to finish!" She didn't know Roger had just come out of the Dojo bathroom and overheard her.

After the bracing was in place Roger and Ron took off for a speed shop in Boulder. It was the closest place that had a dynamometer. They unloaded the CobraJet and left it there. It would take a day or so before the dynamometer would be open and once the engine was mounted, it would be run for a 24 hour break-in before the HP and Torque tests.

Once the break-in was finished, the shop did a run-up. The engine was putting out a monstrous 432 peak horsepower and close to 435 lb/ft of torque. Before the blower was running!

The only thing the car was waiting on was the paint and upholstery shops before final assembly. Ron had set down with the paint and upholstery shops designers and settled on how he wanted the car to look when finished, but they said it would be at least a month before they could get to the Galaxie. Probably closer to six weeks. Sometime around the Thanksgiving break. It would tank to have to wait that long, but it would give him all of the break to drive it around before school started back up.

**********

A couple of days later…

"SAGARAAAAAAA!!!!" Sousuke was reminded of his old Jindai High nemesis Tsubaki Issei. "Where are you. Get your butt to the lab now."

Every one in the room was looking at him, Kaname in particular, "What have you done Sousuke?" She pointed at him, "We're not having a repeat of the improvised explosives incident are we?" The week before, Kim had disregarded the warning signs and entered the lab, which promptly blew up. Ron and Kaname ran to the lab to see Kim standing there coughing, with a soot covered face. As the ventilation fans kicked in they revealed both Sousuke and Wade with singed hair and blasted clothes, unconscious, but otherwise unharmed.

Come to find out Sousuke had taken Wade to the store and made several purchases. Things like mothballs, corn syrup, dish washing detergent, ammonia and corn starch. He was demonstrating what he called 'Low tech solutions to high tech problems.' Who needed Semtex when you had ammonium nitrate. Wade had become fascinated by corn starch and its ability to thicken diesel fuel or the idea of using dish washing detergent to turn gasoline into jelly-like substance.

But now Wade's voice was cracking throughout the base. "SAGARAAAA!!!"

"Kaname-chan, I swear to you I don't know what's wrong!"

"Just like you didn't know what the principal wanted when you trapped the workers area just before the Full Monty Virus?!?!"

Kim and Ron looked each other thinking the same thing, 'Full Monty Virus?' They both made a mental note to ask about it later.

Sousuke tried to beat a hasty retreat from the twitching eyebrow, "I should go see what Load-sensei wants."

"Lets all go."

When they got there they found Wade in a frenzy. He was muttering about 'amateurs trying to be programmers' and knocking his head against the table. When Sousuke asked what he needed, Wade picked up a large stack of paper, brandished it at Sousuke and screamed, "Do you know what this is Sagara?! Do you have any clue?!"

Sousuke was taken aback by the vehement teen genius, "Uhhhh, no Load-sensei."

"Well it's the readout of the programming to the BK's. For the last few weeks, I've been going through it, trying to find the glitch that's affecting the speech centers. And do you know what I found?!"

"Uhhhh, no Load-sensei."

Wade spun to get some momentum and threw the stack upwards shouting, "NOTHING!" As the stack of paper fluttered down around them, he turned back on the confused NCO, "I've gone over the code line-by-line and there's nothing there! That means that the codes weren't there to start with. The only thing the speech centers had to work with was the original animatronic sounds the amusement park programmed in."

"I wasted weeks looking for something that couldn't be found, because it wasn't there. I have to create one from scratch, which isn't that hard. The hard part is it has to be customized to every active unit. The shorter the time the unit has been active, the easier it'll be. But that means that Unit 1, the machine with the most time on the clock will take the longest."

"Sagara, from now on, don't be doing any programming unless you run it past me first. Now get out of here, I have to write the new speech center codes and get it sent to the manufacturer before the next run of BK's. You better hope it goes fast because you're paying me by the hour now."

As the rest beat a hasty retreat, Wade turned and started hammering at his keyboard. A line of text growing by the second.


	24. Temper Temper

This one hammered at me until I set it in text. CajunBear73 and Sentinel103 came through again on Beta Duties. Thanks Dudes

Chapter 24 Temper Temper

The next couple of weeks were interesting to say the least. The first was Kaname's father. Both Kaname and Sousuke had promised to visit the man in New York, but events precluded the trip.

Between the Escort mission for Grace Wiseman, school, Sousuke's G.J. duties, the personal training they were engaged in, including weapons training and A.S. Sims, and various other minor missions like Kim and Kaname delivering a load of medical supplies to a remote Amazon research station to the girls kidnapping by Gemini and the full out assault against the Rocky Mountain WWEE base, they just didn't have the time to spare to leave for the 7 to 10 days her father wanted.

He had taken to calling every other day or so letting his displeasure be known. Finally he decided that if 'Mohammad wouldn't come to the Mountain, the Mountain would come to Mohammad'. So Shunya Chidori arranged both his schedule and that of his younger daughter, Ayame, in order to visit the last week of October. Including, much to the young teenager's displeasure, making sure she had all her class work available.

The next thing on their plates was something Roger thought up. People could say what they wanted about Roger Thomas Olsen, but stupid wasn't one of the things they could use. Sneaky on the other hand could, at times, fit very well. He called his sister and got her to arrange a covert meeting with the Doctors Mr. and Mrs. Possible. Once he laid out his ideas and plans, they called in their daughter to another covert meeting.

She in turn called in Kaname and, most importantly, one Dr. Wade Load, who contacted other various co-conspirators. People with names like Drew Lipsky, Dr. Elizabeth Director and Senor Senior Senior. Kaname thought of someone that no one did and quickly called a number in Japan.

They waited until both Sagara and Ron were in classes, and while Wade kept one eye on the unsuspecting guys, they all met, either in person for the locals or virtually for the Seniors and Toshimaru Ishido, at Sagara's base. After the introductions, Roger informed them of his ideas. With as much brain power and sheer MONEY as there was at the meeting, it didn't take long before a plan of action was agreed upon. Roger had made a few calls to the appropriate entities and got several things arranged. The twenty-fourth of October was going to be a very interesting day to say the least.

There was also another video making the rounds on the internet. It showed an indistinct figure landing in the middle of a hangar and the resulting cloud of dust. What happened afterward was hard to follow because bad guys started flying all over the place. In some ways it was brutal to watch; but like watching a train wreck, you couldn't stop. Rumors had started that somebody had invented a light saber, because that was the only explanation anyone could come up with for a Bo Staff that could slice through metal. For those in the know, it was obvious that "The Buffoon" was doing his thing again.

The video reinforced the idea that bothering Team Possible would continue to be a losing proposition. As a result, the 'Bad Guy" hits to the site dropped to an all time low. The only downside was that it had been leaked from the GJ files, something Dr. Director was furious about. Wade had clued her in that he suspected a mole, but he couldn't tag them. Yet! A goodly portion of his time was being taken up by the hunt because they were leaking information about his friend.

Betty was just about to order a full out investigation, but Wade convinced her otherwise by saying, "I don't think they know I'm looking yet. Let's keep it that way. Sooner or later, they'll mess up and I can nail 'em. If you go broadcasting that we're looking, they might shut down until the heat's off." She reluctantly agreed, but wanted to be kept in the loop as to his findings. She had him set up an account on the GJ servers that only the two of them would have access to, to pass information back and forth.

Into this was the visit by a group of lawyers who brought reports of the 'Friends Of Lowardia' case. Ron nearly blew a gasket because no one, including his parents had told him anything about what was going on. The spokesman took a HEAT (High Explosive Anti Tank) round for Ron's parents by saying it was at their request that nothing was said until now. They told Ron the reason was that he had more than enough to worry about without adding this to the list. They said the only reason they were mentioning it now was there were some documents that required his signature.

One of the reasons 'The Friends Of Lowardia' had finally given up was the threat of one countersuit after another, with indictments going from stalking and harassment to religious discrimination. What really got their attention was the names on the already prepared countersuit documents. The first six names were the 'Friends Of Lowardia' legal team.

As soon as they saw their own names in an indictment brief, for charges of religious discrimination, the 'Friends Of Lowardia' lawyers quickly rethought the idea of pushing forward the charges against Ron. The documents that Ron had to sign, without the legalese, stated that they would cease and desist any charges against one Ronald D. Stoppable on behalf of Warhok and Warmonga as long as he didn't bring charges against them. 'The Friends of Lowardia' only acceded to the agreement with an ill grace, but under the circumstances, they didn't have much choice.

The litigious collapse of 'The Friends of Lowardia' was a fait accompli, especially after the names of the backers of Ronald Stoppable's legal team came to light. Both Martin Smarty and Nakasumi-san had A LOT more money then they did and could afford to drag them through years of legal hell.

When Roger found out about it, he nearly had to be taken to the hospital because he was laughing so hard at the irony of it all.

The A.S. training was going good as well, but Kim wasn't sure whether to be tweaked or not. As Kaname had predicted, except for Sagara, she had surpassed the rest of the Team in A.S. Sims. She could accept that. She didn't like it, but she understood the reasons he was so much better then the rest of the Team.

The reason for her quandary was there was one other on the Team that thrashed her regularly. Ron. Once he was able to make a few connections in his mind, he took to the Arm Slave like a duck to water. To him, it was like a giant video game. In fact it was better then a video game, because like the Mii systems, it was a lot more intuitive and physically interactive, forcing the "Player" to move around to get the machine to do what they wanted it to do. Instead of pushing B-B-C-D to perform a Punch, Punch, Duck, Jump Back combo, you just did it. Ron loved it and win or lose came out of the Simulators grinning every time.

Kim had done a bit of research and found out a disturbing piece of information. If Ron didn't know he was fighting her, he beat her about fifty percent of the time. When he was aware of her being his opponent, his numbers dropped drastically: to something like twenty-five percent.

When she found out, she asked Sagara about it. He confirmed her suspicions. Sousuke quickly adjusted the simulations so NO ONE, but him, knew who they were fighting against. After that, Kim and Ron would regularly trade places between first and second place, Sousuke excluding himself from the rankings because he was the primary trainer.

Kaname and Wade would trade off between third and forth. The longer the engagements lasted the more likely it was that Kaname would win. Her greater stamina and endurance would wear the younger student out to the point that he became easy pickings. But if Wade could get in close, hard and fast, his greater understanding of the machines would come into play.

Sagara mentally laid out a probable roster for the team and he placed Wade in the same slot Kurz Weber occupied. That of the Long Gun. While Kurz could get close and fight melee, he excelled at picking off targets from range. Because of his age and lack of long term stamina, Sousuke started assigning Wade to the same job: Sniper.

The rest of the Team he was able to lay out in a more balanced fashion since they could all get in close to the enemy and "Duke It Out". They were all improving to the point that as long as the enemy didn't have Venoms or some other Lambda Driver machines, he felt confident they could at least hold their own. He was confident enough that he placed a call to some friends to come and test this theory.

They would be operating in simulated American M6A1's, an upgraded version of the American Arm Slave the USSF used in the failed Berildaobu Island assault. It was an excellent machine in it's own right. It was the fault of neither the machines nor the pilots that they faced an enemy who was both equipped with a Venom and a complete sociopath: Gauron! Had they been aware of the danger they were in, they could have had a much better chance against the maniac.

Even after the death of the man in front of his own eyes and at his own hands, the thought of him caused a shudder down Sagara's spine. He had gone through the mission logs Wade kept for the Team Possible missions and none of the villains, with maybe the exception of the Lowardians, came close to either Gauron or Gates for psychotic behavior.

The shoot-house and hand-to-hand training was going good as well. Although it revealed some interesting data. In the Dojo, unarmed, Kim regularly trounced everybody. With blunt weapons, such as a Bo, Bokken or Tonfa both Ron and Sagara were able to hold their own against her. Against Ron though, she would win nearly every time, while against Sagara, she had to work a lot harder to achieve even a draw. Sagara suspected an unconscious reserve on Ron's part when he faced her because Ron would regularly beat the Soldier under the same conditions.

Kaname was nowhere near the levels of Sagara, Kim or Ron, But under Kim's direction she steadily improved. Wade, despite his severe dislike of the exercises, would workout to the best of his ability. And while he couldn't take anyone on the Team hand-to-hand, if some goon or Henchman tried to grab the genius, they were going to be in for a nasty surprise. Particularly if they made the mistake of letting him get armed with either melee weapons or firearms.

And since he had built a special Bo for himself, he was almost never unarmed. The Bo was about eleven inches long in a collapsed state and close to three and a half feet when expanded. He had even started wearing his modified body armor all the time when he was in the building. He had modified it to allowed him to carry an assortment of tools and gadgets, including the Bo and his Glock.

When Kim asked him why, he said that wearing the 24 lbs of body armor was better then a workout and because it was on him all the time, he was never without his basic tools and gadgets. He wasn't losing any weight, but he was quickly losing the chubby figure he has sported for years when the only time they saw him was on the other side of a computer monitor or Kimmunicator screen. His mass was being shifted from body fat to muscle.

In the Shoot-house on the other hand, Kaname had slightly higher scores than Kim did. She was much more willing to drop an enemy than the redhead and reacted faster to an increasing enemy force level. As the enemy shifted from subduing to incapacitating to lethal force, Kim would, unconsciously, continue to try and use hand-to-hand to knock them out. Kaname on the other hand would shuck the BDA in a heartbeat.

Ron and Wade continued to make an excellent entry team with scores on par with Kim. With Ron on point and Wade covering his back, they could drop a multitude of opponents. It was only when the enemy started coming faster than they could drop them that they became overwhelmed.

Sagara would regularly switch up the teams on operations, between two, three, four and five man teams. This had the effect of forcing everyone to learn everyone else's strengths and weaknesses. It also got them use to working with someone other than the old Team Possible combination of Kim and Ron in the field while Wade sat behind in a room full of computer equipment.

There were problems. Wade would sometimes freeze up when the situation changed faster then he could adapt. He was fine as long as they had a set of contingency plans. It was improvisation that caused him to overload trying to work out all the factors to adapt to the new situation. Sousuke was trying to get him to understand the Battlefield maxim of "A good plan NOW is better then a perfect plan in three minutes. Because in three minutes, you could be dead."

Drakken and Shego would regularly monitor the shoot house training sessions and much to Shego's displeasure, she was basically barred from training. She was starting to show her condition and her mood swings were getting more pronounced as the weeks went by. When Drew told her she had been locked out of the shoot house controls she nearly exploded the building until Ron, of all people, calmed her down enough to listen to reason.

It was his "Is your wanting to blast the drones worth your baby?" that slowed her down enough to think about what he had just said. When he continued with "I dunno, but I think if you take a bad hit out there, you could lose her." MOOD SWING! Shego went from boiling fury to crying jag in record time.

Mood swings weren't her only problem. Her cravings were driving Drakken to a distraction. It was the chocolate chip and ketchup tortillas that sent him scrambling to Ron for help. He would call Ron at any hour begging for things like marshmallow lasagna or hollandaise sauce for her Thankful Departed ice cream. Knowing what Shego was like normally made him really want to avoid a visit by a craving impaired, hormone driven, plasma firing powerhouse!

The other interesting thing was Kaname's temper had landed Sousuke and Ron into a sitch, that if they didn't emerge victorious, Kim and Kaname would be the ones paying the piper. The weekend following the WWEE sitch, the foursome had gone to a club to makeup for the missed night out the week prior. What they didn't know was there was a local garage band playing that night. A band headed by a two-tone haired young man named Josh Mankey.

**********

The four were sitting at a table that Sousuke had chosen. In a corner away from the door that allowed for lines of sight to nearly the rest of the club. They had arrived early and the place hadn't even started filling yet, so the crowd was light. In the booth next to them was a group of girls who were swooning over various members of the band, particularly the front man/rhythm guitarist. That golden hottie, Josh Mankey.

Now Sagara didn't care one way or the other and Kaname didn't even glance at the singer. Ron wasn't thinking about it, he was more concerned with the club's severe lack of nachos and other consumables. Kim, remembering the last time she laid eyes on her former crush was of half a mind, and maybe a little more, to go somewhere else for the night.

Josh had wandered over during a break, but he only had eyes on the girls in the booth and his plans for later in the evening. Kim and Ron were sitting with their backs to the other booth, while Sousuke and Kaname were in view, so he didn't realize who was sitting in the booth next to them. When the girls started gushing about how great a singer he was, nothing really happened other than Kim shuddering, What started it was when one of the girls went on and on about how great a guitarist he was.

When Kaname heard the girl, she was about to take a drink from her soda. It was one of those strange silent lulls in the conversation inside the club that led to her laughter sounding clearly. And since no one in Mankey's booth heard anything to set her off, they jumped, correctly, to the conclusion that she found the girl's comment funny.

Now being the pretty boy that he was, that didn't set too well with Josh. "Why's what she said funny? I happen to think I'm pretty good. Both singing and playing the guitar!"

Kaname wasn't about to let that shot across the bow pass unanswered. "Please! Sousuke here's waaaay better then either you or the other guy you have playing. And I know Ron there can sing better then you!"

Sousuke who was thinking fast and trying to defuse the situation, quietly said, "Kaname-chan?'

Josh finally noticed the blond and redhead he was looking over the top of. "Ron! Kim! Wait a minute? What do you mean he can sing better than me? I've had a band for years. We've never missed getting a gig that we wanted." Josh tossed his head in Sousuke's direction. "What the hell could he possibly know about singing?"

Kaname's temper was doing a slow boil by now, because she didn't like anyone putting her man down. He had won her love and respect through fire and blood and had spent too long not standing up for himself in social situations. "Well, I won't let Sousuke even sing alone in the shower because he can scare the animals away. But he gets a guitar in his hands, it's magic. And I've heard Ron sing when he's working in the garage and he sounds way better than you."

"Kaname-chaaaan!"

"Please, this lll…" And the memory of pain he had been promised flashed in Kim's eyes. Josh knew he was about two syllables from a beat down. "Lack wit."

"You heard me! I know for a fact their better than you and your 'Band'!" She said the word band with complete condescension. "The only guys you have worth anything are the drummer and keyboardist. The bass-man's not too bad! But you and the guy playing lead? Please!"

Another young man approached saying, "Hey, Josh, come on. We've only got a few minutes before the next set.

By now Josh was getting tweaked "You've no idea how good we are. We have a packed house every time we play!"

"That's because this place is gonna be packed anyway! The only people that care if you show up are your groupies there!"

"Is that so. Wanna put your money where you mouth is?

"Sure! What's the bet?"

"Kanaaaame-chan!"

"If I win you and Kim have to go on a date with me, and you gotta pay for it! Dinner, dancing, the works!"

Sousuke looked like he was about implode. Kim wasn't amused at all. The worst was Ron. At the mention of a Kim-date that didn't involve him, there was a flash of blue to his eyes just before he regained control.

"You're on! And when Sousuke and Ron win you have to take out a full page, full week's ad in the newspaper saying that you lost and they won!"

Steel gray, cocoa brown and emerald green along with three dropped jaws appeared around the table

Kim was the first to regain her senses. "I'm not agreeing to this."

Josh seeing his chance to have not one but two of the hottest looking girls on campus on his arms wasn't about to let the opportunity pass. "What, you don't think he can do it? I thought you had confidence in him."

And suddenly her Kimness took over. "Now I didn't say that! It's just the last thing I want is a date with you."

"Well if he wins, you don't have to. That's IF he wins!"

Green fire flashed, "You're on." She looked to her right at the blond sitting there, "Ron, you're gonna kick his biscuit on that stage, you hear me?!" She glared back at the smug Josh., "Terms?"

"Hmmm, three songs, player's choice?"

"Audience judges! Next weekend!"

"Great! Well I gotta get back to the band. Girls, I want you to dress nice for my date. That black dress you wore at the Middleton Days is a good choice, Kimmie." Josh headed back to the stage wearing a very pleased and smug expression.

Ron looked first at Kim, then Kaname. He looked at Sagara and asked, "What just happened?"

Sousuke was as befuddled as Ron. "I'm not sure Stoppable-san, but I think you and I have to victoriously participate in a contest performing a selection of musical pieces to prevent Possible-san and Kaname-chan from accompanying that individual on a outing of a romantic nature."

"Huh?"

"We play and win or he dates the girls."

"Why didn't you say that?"

"I did!"

"Oh!" Ron turned from Kaname to Kim, back to Kim and asked, "Are you two insane?!?!"

Kim didn't answer because she was too busy banging her head on the table, while Kaname was just then realizing where her temper had led her.

*********

When Kaname's family arrived, Sousuke moved into Ron's room, giving up his room to Shunya, while Kaname put her sister in the same room with her. The man was not happy that his daughter was sharing an apartment with not one, but two males, Kim's presence not withstanding. He was only slightly mollified by the fact that the only presence of Sousuke in her room was a few pictures on the walls and her nightstand and vice versa for Sousuke's room. If anything, Sagara's room was the barest of the four, causing a raised eyebrow, wondering if his daughter's beau had hidden the incriminating evidence.

They went through their normal daily routines of school, study, cleaning the apartment, training or relaxing. Ron and Sagara were also trying to figure out how they were going to win a bet they had nothing to do with starting. They thought that between them they had a workable plan. The girls kept trying to find out what they had in mind but quickly got the idea the guys weren't happy with how they had been shanghaied into the contest.

The only difference in the normal routine was the presence of Shunya and Ayame accompanying them to the Dojo, firing line, shoot house or the A.S. Simulators. The Team even helped Ayame, to her delight, try out the Sims. Kaname arranged to have her sister distracted by Ron, Kim and Sousuke while she talked with her father. Kaname had a plan for dealing with her father and it involved impressing upon him the idea that she was nobody's pushover. Not even his!

The elder Chidori was very hesitant when he and Kaname adjourned to the Dojo. Like a lot of Japanese men, he had served a short time in the JSDF and gotten the basics of hand-to-hand and martial arts skills. But she proceeded try and take his head off until he finally got the idea he really should defend himself. He might have been stronger than her, but the last year had built her stamina and speed to the point that she only took a hit when she was trying to get close enough to grapple with her father.

This was before they visited the firing line. Seeing his eldest child first gather several magazines from the armory and step up to the firing line, then pull a pistol from…. somewhere, and start sending round after round into a target hanging about 7 meters downrange made for a very uncomfortable feeling.

That uncomfortable feeling of his especially increased after she brought the target forward. None of the thirty rounds she fired missed the man-shaped target, with about a third landing in the face and the rest being center mass. It was the rounds that landed in places like the shoulder or the lower abdomen, top of the skull or the ear that caused her to grumble in annoyance.

And that made her father very uncomfortable. It certainly didn't fit into his ideal of what his daughter should be doing. They spoke Japanese for both the privacy and because it was a reminder to him of an earlier time with his daughter. He questioned her about these things and received a strange, frightening answer.

_"I'm not going to be anybody's victim, Daddy! Daddy, you don't know most of what's happened to me in the last two years." _She had talked to Sousuke and called Tessa, who referred her to Lord Mallory, about what to reveal to her family. Twenty months ago, at their suggestion and for a variety of reasons, she had kept most of what was happening at Jindai under wraps from her father. Not the least was her family's security. If they didn't know anything, there was less of a chance they would be targeted.

Now she felt she should let the man know what was going on. As she would reset a target or reload a magazine, she started to explain the Whispers, Mithral, her kidnappings at the hands of various terrorist groups. She drew other weapons from the armory and practiced with both hand guns and carbines. When she grabbed the FN2000 and some magazines for it, he was aghast because she calmly walked to the line, slapped a mag in, pulled the charging handle, raised the weapon to her shoulder and leaned into it as she emptied the clip on full auto, shredding the target.

She turned back to her father as she dropped the magazine and made sure the weapon was clear. _"Daddy, you have no idea what it's like to know there are people like the GRU or KGB that want to squeeze your mind like you would a grapefruit for breakfast juice. Sometimes it was only Sousuke that kept me alive. I've watched as he waded through a hail of bullets to protect me. He's risked his life and his honor for me. Daddy, I love you! But you can't understand!_

Before they left his daughter had laid a stern duty upon him._ "Daddy, I want you to give him a chance, a real chance. The same kind of chance you would give one of your new interns. I want you to judge him like you do them. Fairly!"_ He prided himself on his honor and self honesty and because this was his daughter asking, he felt he had to at least give the young man the benefit of the doubt.

**********

Sousuke and Ron had brainstormed together and decided that the bet Kim and Kaname had gotten them shanghaied into didn't cover having to **form** a band. They just had to outperform Josh as the lead singer/rhythm guitarist and the lead guitarist. Since it was players' choice, Sagara decided to stick with his strengths and do a series of riffs on the Fender with Wade handling the backup for the rest of the instruments. Then to drive the point home they decided to work on song that played to Sagara's strengths and assisted Ron in setting the final song up.

For the final song, Ron had thought long and hard and decided that he needed to outperform Josh, not out sing him. So he got a copy of the song he wanted to use from Roger and had Wade pull the lyrics' data from it and set it up for the performance.

Both the Possibles and Shunya Chidori had gotten wind of the contest, with Mrs. Dr P and Shunya both shaking their heads at the tempers of their respective daughters. Both the American mother and the Japanese father knew where the temper of their respective daughters had come from. The girls' mothers! It was only her training as a neurosurgeon that allowed Anne Possible to conquer hers. And Shunya's deceased wife only started to get hers under control after the birth of her children.

Naturally when the Possibles found out, they called their friends the Stoppables. Therefore all the adult members of both families wanted to see the outcome of the contest and made reservations for a table close to the stage. Shunya Chidori, trying to find out more about the people his daughter was associating with, invited himself along to the little outing.

**********

The Thursday before the contest, Sousuke's testers arrived in the form of CPT Belfangan Grouseaux, newly promoted (to her displeasure) LT Mellissa Mao and Sergeant Major Kurz Weber. The Urzu team would be acting as OPFOR (Opposing Force) insurgents operating a variety of surplus and frontline Soviet equipment with Captain Grouseaux taking the oldest Arm Slave, an RK-89 Shamrock and Mellissa and Kurz operating newer RK-92 Savages.

Sagara knew that having Belfangan in an RK-89 wouldn't really be an advantage because the man had defeated him using a prototype M-9 while Sagara was in the ARX7. No mean feat since Sagara had taken out no less then five Venoms alone. Of course, Sagara hadn't been able to utilize the Lambda Driver against Captain Grouseaux.

But as the Hong Kong mission had shown, a group of M9's led by the Captain had held their own against a Venom for hours until it was destroyed by Gates and his crew. Sousuke had no doubts that Belfangan would be more than a match against the M6's the Team would be using in the Sims.

The engagement would be taking place in the simulated deserts of the Four Corners area of the United States. The place where New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah came together. A place where none of the combatants had much previous knowledge. This gave no one the advantage of terrain, forcing everyone to pay attention to the landscape.

The OPFOR would deploy first with the mission of destroying a notional United Nations Aid Station set up to assist with recovery operations in a Third World country. The Team's mission was to protect the Station from insurgents trying to force the U.N. to leave and clear the way for a Military Coup to take over the resource rich mountains that, with proper management, could allow the people to see an increase in their standard of living by nearly 500 percent.

One thing Sousuke tried to impress upon the Team in the pre-mission briefing was that they had the support of a wing of British RAF Tornados on call thirty minutes away. If they could hold the enemy for that long, they would have a serious amount of Air Support.

To the south was almost open country that even with ECS (Electronic Camouflage Systems), which both Threat and Friendly forces lacked, would make for a very hard approach. To the north, the terrain was more rugged, allowing for defilades and hidden approaches. Sagara decided to keep his people in the familiar teams they were used to. Corporal Possible and Specialist Stoppable he sent to the Northeast while he took PFC Chidori and moved out to the Northwest.

Wade Load, having been given the Rank of PFC, he sent to the Southern perimeter. Using every resource available, Sagara called in two flights of two Predator Drones each. One flight to cover the area to either side of PFC Load's flanks with their sensor feeds directed to the lone unit. The second pair, he requested and got permission from Command to slave to the command unit of each of the wing pairs. One for himself and the other to Corporal Possible.

With three sets of eyes and sensors on the Southern perimeter and a total of six on the Northern side, he felt confident that they could repel an attack and hold their own at least until the Tornados arrived for Close Air Support. And once the Tornados had them in their bomb sights, they would make short work of any enemy on the ground.

Sagara kept them on a random roving patrol that never had anyone, other then PFC Load, more then five minutes from support by the other wing. PFC Load was no more than eight minutes away. They moved in a bounding overwatch, one unit stationary and covering the other while their wingman moved to a position. When the wingman was in place, the second moved ahead under the covering guns of their partner.

For hours they kept it up. On the Northern side, they continued getting frustrating sensor readings of the enemy. As soon as they tried to localize the enemy units, they would fade back. It was obvious to Sagara, they were trying to draw them away from the Station to either move in behind them and destroy it or pull them too far apart to support each other and 'Divide and Conquer' by ganging up and killing the defending forces in detail.

*********

On the Southern side, all PFC Load saw was open ground with a whole lot of nothing. Watching nothing for hours would be boring to anyone, but to a 13 year old genius, it was torture. He amused himself by hacking the controls of the drones and started them in a wider pattern then the one programmed by Flight Control. Sometimes closer, then farther away, off to the East, back to the West.

Laaa de daaa.

He also got tired of bouncing around out in the open. For some reason, it bothered him. Maybe it was a subliminal affect of his agoraphobia. So he found the highest piece of ground for miles and quickly expanded an existing trench, pulled up some scrub brush and hopped into the trench, covering himself with the scrub brush. He commanded the Drones to a slightly higher altitude with a more aggressive overlapping search pattern.

**********

About forty-five minutes after PFC Load went slightly off mission profile, threat sensors started blaring inside the HUD's of Corporal Possible's wing. Bare seconds before incoming rounds impacted, they scattered taking cover behind the rocky outcroppings. They enemy was firing HEAT rounds and the close explosions rattled them inside the cockpits. Both Kim and Ron were trying to make heads or tails of the sensor reading to decide how many of the enemy they faced. Sagara called repeatedly asking if they needed assistance.

Kim screamed into the radio, "NOT YET! We've got some cover, but we don't know how many are out there!" Ron was firing off measured shots to force the enemy into cover. So far they only had one target localized and they could fade back if pushed to hard.

Sagara gritted his teeth, "Roger, stay in contact, Possible-san. Keep the channel open."

"Roger. So far all I have is one bad guy trying to pick us off from the ridge to the north-west. Call 1500 meters." she popped up and fired a quick three rounds, stitching them along the crest of the ridge where she thought the enemy was firing from.

Ron peeked around the boulder he was hunkered down behind only to have the rock explode into the face of his AS from a near miss. Back up on the ridgeline, the enemy pilot was cursing the un-calibrated piece of junk they were at the controls of.

"WHOOOA!"

"ROOONNN!"

"KIM, HE'S STILL THERE!"

"You ok?"

Ron glanced at his displays, "Gonna have to repaint this thing later, but yeah!"

"Be careful!" Like all good training simulators, they had forgotten they were in one and were reacting like it was real.

Kim was just about to try and maneuver closer when the sensors on the drone started pinging. Kim flipped through the data feeds and saw a second machine angling to get them in a cross-fire. She checked the Heads Up and picked a spot slightly closer to the Station. She flipped the data to Ron's AI and screamed, "RON, NEW POSITION. MOOOOOVEEEE!"

As Ron bounded back to new cover, she called the Sergeant, "SAGARA We have two, I repeat, two enemy machines inbound. We're falling back to position indicated." When Ron was able to lay down covering fire, she bounced out of her position to an outcrop behind her wingman, the weeks of training overcoming her natural reaction to put herself in front of Ron.

**********

Back with Sergeant Sagara, he had to make a hard choice. Keep Kaname with him and hope that Kim and Ron could hold the enemy or send either her or himself in support of the other members of his squad. The next call over the radio made his choice for him. "Sagara, we're getting readings of two possibly three machines advancing on our position!"

With the possibility of Belfangan still being out there somewhere he couldn't leave the sector uncovered. He was the best A.S. pilot they had and had the best chance against him alone. "Chidori-san, move out to assist them. Circle wide and approach from behind the Corporal's position."

After what they had been through together, even in a mock combat situation, Kaname had total faith in him, "Roger!" She started hurtling back towards the Station.

They were in simulators deep inside the G.J. base so he had no idea why he said it. "Kaname-chan, be careful!" He just had to say it.

Through the monitor, he saw her grin, "You too, Sousuke."

"Possible-san, reinforcements are inbound. ETA five minutes."

"ROGER"

He switched channels to Higher command. "Central Command, Central Command, Aid Station 5, we have hostile contact on two, I repeat, two confirmed targets. Engaging now. Requesting Close Air Support. I designate Unit 3, Corporal Kimberly Possible, as Forward Air Control Commander, how copy, over."

"Station 5 Commander, Central Command, we currently have two flights, that's two pair, aloft. ETA your position two zero minutes, FAC Commander Corporal Possible. Scrambling ready flights, ETA three zero minutes. How copy, over." It was unnerving to hear the voice of Betty Director as "Commanding General UN Forces"

"I copy two flights two zero minutes out, next wave three zero minutes, over."

Roger, Station 5, Godspeed, Central Command out."

"Possible, Sagara"

"This is Possible, go ahead."

"Possible, Close Air Support is inbound, your position, 20 minutes out. Your Command. Call the ball!"

"Understood, 20 minutes."

**********

To the south, a teenage voice asked "What the…?" As Kaname was charging back in support of her teammates, Wade was getting some funny readings from the drones. There was a big rock moving. Not a lot. But every time the drones passed overhead it seemed to be in a different spot. It wasn't enough to call for help. Not yet! But he had the A.I. mark it and programmed one of the drones to circle more often.

**********

Kaname was about 3 minutes away when Kim and Ron started taking slightly heavier harassing fire. It wasn't a full out assault, but it peppered the area around them enough to force them to stay under cover. It wasn't long before Ron got tired of that.

"KIM! Old School. Drakken's lairs. On three!"

They had such a synchronicity, that those few words conveyed an entire plan to her. It still hadn't registered with them they were in the simulators. As fast as her heart was pounding, it accelerated when Ron got ready to play his old part of distraction.

"One!" The thought of Ron moving out to draw fire had her mouth instantly dry.

"Two!" She gripped the Bofors tighter and focused on the target lock that was tracing the ridgeline.

"Three!" Ron took off like a runner leaving the starting blocks. He covered 60 meters in ten strides and pivoted to the right away from Kim. She popped up and the target lock in the HUD started a pulsing tone the indicated imminent target acquisition. Ron completed the zag to his previous zig when an enemy snapped off a round that landed right about where he was going to be if he had stayed on course. The sudden direction change had caught the enemy off guard.

Immediately after firing the enemy dropped back under cover as Kim's round passed overhead. The second enemy was laying in wait in a position that allowed him to stay undercover until Ron passed into his field of fire. The number two man received an information flip from his partner just before Ron was about to duck back under cover, so he was ready when Ron came into view. He had a perfect shot except for one problem. The Ron Factor took effect, causing Ron to trip just before he made it. The good news was he lived. If he hadn't fallen, the shot would have gone straight through the cockpit. The bad news was the shot blew off the right leg of his A.S.

"ROOOOONNNN?!?!?!"

"KP, I'm OK! But I think it's gonna take a royalty check or two to pay for this thing!"

"OH Thank God! Can you move?"

"Give me a second to un-bunch my shorts and I'll tell ya!"

Over her radio she heard, "Possible, Chidori. I'm 90 seconds away, where do you want me?"

Kim tapped a few buttons and flipped a position to Kaname's A.I. shouting "Hurry!"

Kaname saw the spot blinking on her HUD and took an evasive course to the location. She had to balance speed against survivability.

Ron in the meantime was closing down damaged sections and rerouting his remaining power to his Arm Slaves other three limbs. He had taken something Sagara had said, almost in passing, to heart. 'Just because your machine might not have legs, doesn't mean you have to be immobile.' Ron had seen three legged dogs before and they got along pretty good.

**********

Back on the South Side, per SOP, Wade had been monitoring the radio traffic and knew that Kim and Ron were engaged with at least two targets. And if they had two targets in front of them where was the third? After watching the moving 'Rock' Wade was convinced he had a bad guy trying to sneak up on the Station. "Sagara, Load."

"Sagara, go ahead."

"Sagara, check this out." Wade send him all the drone readings from before the engagement started till now. "I got a rock moving out here. It ain't real fast, but it's steady. Are you sure we've only got three targets?"

"Load, Sagara, Affirmative! That's probably their sniper, can you engage?" Sousuke left his patrol and moved towards the battle occurring about 6 kilometers to his east.

"In about 90 seconds, they'll be at optimal range for the Bofors. Should I take a shot now or what?"

Sousuke thought about it for a second, "Load, Sagara, use your best judgment!"

"Understood, Load out!"

Having had the chance to watch the 'Rock' for a while, Wade had had a chance to think about things and consider his options. The thing he really needed, but didn't have, was a distraction to get the bad guy's attention.

Unless…….

**********

Ron had his machine back under control now. The A.I. didn't like the movement plan Ron had in mind and informed of such. Ron ignored it as he got ready to try again. He flipped the data on the enemy that had gotten him to Kim and Kaname. "Hey girls, let's try that one more time. You ready?"

"Ron?!"

Ron popped around the outcropping and fired off a series of shots in the general direction of the enemy. "On three."

"Ron, stay down."

"Aww where the fun in that KP! One." Kim didn't like this one little bit.

"Two." Something was twigging at the back of Kaname's mind. Something Sousuke had mentioned. Something about the radios.

"Three!" Ron bounded out heading to a position closer to his teammates. He was moving like a dog missing a hind leg. Knuckles, leg in, shove, Knuckles, leg in, shove. Knuckles, leg in, shove. Just as he moved. Kim cleared the rock she was behind and it clicked in Kaname's head. They had been on the same radio frequencies too long. The enemy on the ridgeline was already up and waiting when Kim and Ron came into view. Ron took a three round burst through the cockpit.

The enemy firing on Kim was a shade too fast and blasted the head of her machine. She could still fight but she had lost nearly all of her sensors. Her Arm Slave dropped flat on it's back as Kim tried to shake off the stunning blow. She only had one forward viewer, allowing her to scramble back under cover. She turned the sensor to where the blasted form of Ron's mangled machine lay.

"RROOOOOOOONNNN!" She still hadn't remembered.

The enemy didn't get it all their way though. Kaname had come up at the same time. She was trying to warn Ron back ,but didn't make it in time. Instead, she was able to fire a three round burst and hammer one of the enemy. She spun and took aim at the other one and fired from the hip. Her first round went wide, as did the second, but the third slammed into the side of the head of the second machine, knocking it back under cover.

Kim was just about to rush to Ron's AS when another machine came out of the west over the ridgeline behind the enemy's position, monomolecular cutter engaged, driving it into the cockpit of the second enemy. Sagara heard Kim's screams over the radio. He had been following events on his HUD and seen Stoppable's icon go dark. Realizing what was going through her mind, he exercised Command Authority and had his A.I. shut her simulator down. Technically it would be too damaged to continue Combat Operations anyway. For now they still had a mission and one enemy left. He looked around and to his horror, he DID NOT see an RK-89 Shamrock.

Oh, shit!

**********

"So you wanna play, huh? Just a little closer!" The 'Rock' had moved steadily closer. And in about 15 seconds, all hell was gonna break loose. As soon as it cleared the slight hill less then 250 meters away. Point blank range for the Bofors. Almost too close for the HEAT rounds to arm themselves. Just before the 'Rock' was in the kill box, Sagara started calling.

"LOAD, SAGARA,……….LOAD, SAGARA, COME IN."

"I'm a little busy, gimme 60 seconds."

"You may not HAVE 60 seconds."

"Standby."

THERE! Wade flipped an order through the A.I. From straight up came the now gliding Predator drone. Wade had shut the engine down to mask the noise as the robot kamikazed into the 'Rock'. It was still carrying a fair load of fuel which Wade quickly set ablaze with HEAT round after HEAT round. He emptied his weapons magazine, ejected the empty and quickly inserted a full one. His eyes only left the target long enough to flip the data to the rest of the Team.

"Target possibly destroyed. I need backup to be sure."

For the first time, Wade heard a confused Sagara. "Load, Sagara, are you certain?"

"Well, I got a smashed up burning rock here that I emptied the Bofors into, so I'd say it's a pretty good bet."

"Load Sagara. Excellent work! Chidori is inbound your position. What's your ammo situation? Over."

"One mag in, two reserve for the Bofors, full load out for the Chainguns."

"Roger. Load, if the target so much as twitches, I want you to hit it with at least two mags on the cannon and half your Chaingun ammo, how copy over?"

"Two mags and half the Chainguns, Roger. Question, what's with the firestorm? He's already down"

"Load, Sagara, I cannot stress to you just how dangerous that target really is. If it's who I think it is, he defeated me in the ARX7 in close Combat. Be aware we have Close Air Support inbound ETA 7 minutes. I'm assigning one flight to you. As soon as they are on station, just in case, have them make a run at it. Unleash Hell!"

250 meters away from the newly minted Warrior, the 'Rock' exploded. "Uhh, Sagara, Load, I don't think that'll be a problem. The 'Rock' just went BOOM!" And suddenly Wade's screens went blank, with the voice of the AI saying "Simulation terminated." and the cockpit hatch opened to reveal a very distraught Kim clutching Ron for dear life.

**********

The After Action Review was a trial for all involved. The Urzu Team as Instructors/OPFOR debriefed the Team under the eyes of Dr. Director, Shunya and Ayame Chidori. The last two having been informed that ANY interference or interruptions would result in their being escorted out of the room and taken to a secure area until either Kaname or another member of the Team could come and collect them

It started with a computer representation of the action, accelerated ten times until Kim and Ron were engaged against Kurz and Mellissa. 2X speed after that unless there was communications flying.

When the replay was finished, a Stone Faced Belfangan asked "Who was the little twerp that took me out?" When he found out it was the little, thirteen year old, Doctorate holding, genius, he LOOMED over the teenager and with an icy voice told him to explain step by step 'What?' 'When?' 'Why?' And 'How?' Wade did so in a shaky voice.

Kaname was about to let the Officer have it when Sousuke placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him to see one of his rare tiny grins and a small shake of the head. She looked over to see Kurz and Mellissa valiantly trying to hide their smiles. The GJ Commander was leaning against a wall at the rear of the room with a neutral face, except for the twinkle in her eye.

Shunya watched with his normal Japanese reserve, but you could tell he knew something was going on. Ayame watched in trepidation as the young genius was being grilled. Kim was still too shaken at the sight of Ron's destroyed machine to come to Wade's assistance and Ron was dealing with Kim.

As Wade finished, Belfangan said, still in that icy voice, "So, let me get this straight, you dug a hole, climbed in and covered yourself up, let me get to within 250 meters and crashed a drone into my camouflage, before you unloaded a Bofors into me."

"Uhhh, Pppretty much, Sir."

"Then, just to be sure, you were prepared to have not one," He held up a finger and added a second, "but two RAF Tornados make bombing runs at me?"

"Uhhhh, yes Sir."

Like an iceberg calving from a glacier, Belfangan started to grin, then he smiled, then he started to laugh which set off both Kurz and Mellissa. Before they were done all of the Urzu Team were having a laugh riot. Even Sousuke was wearing a smile while Kaname looked like the Cheshire Cat. Kim had come out of her funk enough to figure out what was going on and she and Ron were smiling at their friend. Betty just smiled and shook her head. Shunya had seen this kind of thing before and had a smile on his reserved face. Ayame grinned and looked around trying to figure out the joke.

"Sarn' Major Weber, I think you might have to watch out or Specialist Load here will steal your title of the best sniper in Mithril."

"Uhhh, Sir I'm Ranked as a PFC."

"Really?" Belfangan looked towards the back to where Betty Director of leaning against the wall. Receiving a nod he looked back at the teenager and said, "Not anymore. If a performance like that doesn't rate a promotion, I don't know what does!"

"Now as for you three!" He indicated Kim, Ron and Kaname. "All I gotta say is 'Out Standing'! Corporal Possible, what was your mission in there?"

Kim gulped and looked around at the assembled Warriors finally settling on Ron. "To protect the Station."

"Exactly! Did you, in anyway, fail it?"

"But, Ron was killed!"

"Did you fail in your mission? Your mission was to protect the Station from terroristic forces seeking to destroy it and kill everyone for 20 miles around it to erase even it's memory! Did! You! Fail?"

She was downbeat with a trembling bottom lip as she answered "No."

"Exactly." He looked at Mellissa and said, "Lieutenant?"

Mao addressed Kim and Ron, "When did you guys remember it was all a simulation?"

They looked at each other and Ron answered, shaking his head, "When the hatches opened!"

"Possible?" Kim just nodded her answer. Mao asked them "When did you forget?"

Ron quipped, "About the time you guys started taking potshots at us!"

"So from the time Weber and I engaged until the Sim ended, you both believed it was real?"

Both of them nodded and Mellissa continued, pointing at Ron "Then that makes what you did even more insane." She stared at Ron HARD. "Let me tell you something. You _look_ like a real Goofball, ya do, but boy, you got Guts. The most dangerous thing a Soldier can do is move out and draw fire. And you didn't hesitate! And when you KNOW there's a good chance you're gonna take fire?! That's guts!"

"Your first run, I had you dead to rights until you pulled that pump fake and dodged. Then as I was trying to avoid having your girlfriend take my head off, I sent Weber your course track. If you hadn't tripped HE would a had ya. But the best he could pull out of it was tagging your AS."

"Later, you got yourself mobile and tried to draw fire AGAIN! What the hell were you thinking?"

"Well, I figured if you guys were watching me, then you weren't watching Kim."

Mao had her grin back, "And while we're watching you, she would a been watching us! Incredible! Stoppable, that was exactly the right thing to do. And the fact you thought it was real makes it even more remarkable. Weber?"

"Little Dude, I don't know where the hell you learned to run, but we need to figure out how to copy it for training. Despite what Sis just said, even knowing you were about to cross my line of fire, I nearly wasn't ready. I saw that fake out number you did on her. That was the wildest thing I've ever seen. I've only seen one other pilot be able to make a cut like that and he was your team leader."

"And to tell you the truth, if I hadn't seen Sousuke move an AS without legs before, I wouldn't have believed it. But that was just the arms which is about what I expected from you. Not the three-legged dog trick. Kick ass!"

"Angel, you fired 6 rounds in 4 seconds. Three of them from the hip. And you hit one of the targets you were aiming at dead on, the other according to the 'puters, you got a soft kill on, making it Combat ineffective. Girl, that's shooten." He looked at Belfangan, "Captain?"

Belfangan looked at Betty who nodded. "Private First Class Chidori, since you were the high scorer on this little exercise, with one and a half kills, you're promoted to Specialist. Congratulations."

Belfangan said, "OK, we've talked about what you did right. Now let's talk about what you did WRONG! Chidori?"

"We didn't change radio frequencies soon enough."

"And you figured that out, when?"

"I thought about it just as Specialist Stoppable broke cover the second time. I was opening my mouth to say something just as he moved, but I was too late."

Belfangan glared at Sagara, "Sergeant?"

"No excuse, Captain. It was my fault for not ordering a freq change."

"You're right, there is no excuse." He looked around at the rest of the Team, "Except, for maybe inexperience. Any team member should be able to call for a freq change. So, Sergeant, while the blame might be primarily yours, every member of your Team was responsible. Lieutenant?"

Mao looked at Kim and Ron, "It was us cracking your commo that let Weber bag Stoppable there and me get a piece of you before Kaname tagged us. If you had changed freqs before, we wouldn't have been ready and waiting for you all to break cover. It was only the fact that Kaname arrived before we cracked it and we didn't know she was there that let her get the drop on us. Weber?"

Kurz sadly looked at Kim and Ron. "You two need to either figure out how to separate the professional and personal or split up either professionally or personally." Kurz looked at Kim both stern and understanding. "When he went down, you freaked. Understandable. But you need to learn that there's time for it. And while you're still under fire IS NOT it!"

He looked at Kaname, "Angel, a little slower on the trigger next time. If you'd have taken just a tad more time, you could have caught more than just a piece of Sis's machine. You already had me plugged. Mellissa could a waited a second more and you would have gotten her too."

Shunya seemed to bristle as these people criticized his daughter and it took an effort of will to think about it dispassionately. Yes it was criticism, however he had had enough peer reviews to know it was actually 'Constructive Criticism'.

Belfangan got a contemplative look on his face, "You know, gambling is forbidden in the Quran. But if I gambled, I would wager that none of you, Ms. Possible in particular, will EVER forget communication security again."

Hearing what had caused his 'Death' Kim knew she would never forget it, "That's a def!"

"Corporal Possible, learn from this, because that's what training is for! You know, I don't think you realize just what you and your people have done. It's a safe assumption that there are four of the Best Arm Slave Pilots in the world sitting in this room. Three of us were your enemy! And your Team, led by Sergeant Sagara, not only held their own, but won, with only one causality and two machines lost. That's unheard of!"

Belfangan looked at the Staff Sergeant, "Sergeant, excellent work!"

Mao tossed in her two cents, "He's right Sousuke, you've done a kick ass job!"

"Sir, Ma'am, they did all the work!"

"Maybe," Belfangan looked at the assembled young people, "but they couldn't have done it without the leadership." he saw nods all around. "If you people can demonstrate that kind of teamwork outside an Arm Slave, then the enemy is going to have a bad time!"

He looked around at the young people and said, "I just wanna say, that I would be glad to have any of you on my Team, anytime, anywhere!" He pointed to Wade, "Not you!" At his crestfallen expression, he grinned and added, "You give us a call in four or five years! Then we'll talk.


	25. Surfing With The Alien

Sentinel and CajunBear strike again, Kudos Dudes :D

Chapter 25 Surfing with the Alien

By Joe Satriani

http://www (dot) youtube (dot) com/watch?v=VO8QsoNOV_k&feature=related

The main lab door was bigger than your standard bank vault door. It had to be to allow the passage of large pieces of equipment. It was balanced so well that even before he had started to put on muscle, Wade could easily move it unassisted. It had a electric motor to allow remote opening and closing and a set of hydraulics for use in case it was jammed from moving in either direction. Either to close it in a crisis or open it if it was stuck.

Like the rooms in the apartment upstairs were the personal areas of each resident, the lab/living quarters in the basement was his. If you wanted to enter one of the rooms upstairs, you knocked. If the main door was open, but the lab door was shut then anyone wanting to enter would knock. And since 'The Improvised Explosives Incident', _nobody_ entered without knocking.

But when the main door was closed, the lab was more secure than your standard bank vault, so just knocking wasn't going to work. So Wade had installed a low powered wireless doorbell. He was in his lab when the main door chime sounded. That meant there was somebody outside the entrance to Wade's domain. He had been working on some delicate adjustment to the mini-Lambda Driver for BK1 and didn't need anyone barging in pounding on the lab door, so he had shut the main door itself.

He had developed the habit of checking the monitors to see who was outside. He saw a Japanese teenager about his age, Ayame Chidori. The sister of his Whispered teammate Kaname. He was looking at the screen, trying to figure out what she was doing there when the chime sounded again. He entered the code to open the door and left the lab.

When he got to the front of the lab the door was finishing the opening cycle and he saw her looking at the mechanism with amazement. She glanced at him, pointed to the door and said, "That's cool!"

Even a super genius couldn't resist showing off a bit. "That not that cool, watch this!" He flipped a switch inside the room to release the opening mechanism and stood behind the door. He motioned her out of the way and using one hand, he slowly pushed the door closed.

"WOW! How much does that thing weigh?"

"Oh, 'bout 15 tons. That's something like sixteen or seventeen full sized cars. So, what can I do for ya?"

"Well, everybody had classes today, so the only ones here were me and dad. Then I remembered you're down here. I was bored and I really didn't feel like doing anymore schoolwork! So I thought I'd come see if I could hang out with you for awhile."

Wade wasn't sure how to act or talk. This was the first girl his own age he had ever really associated with. "Uhhh, sure. I can let you come into the lab, but you can't touch _anything_ unless you ask me first. I don't want the lab to blow up this week."

Ayame stared at him blankly for a second, waiting for the jokes punch line. Then is occurred to her he was serious. "Blow up?! As in explosion?!"

Wade had a huge grin "Yeah, couple a weeks ago, me and Sagara were working on some stuff when Kim barged in without knocking. The pressure differential cause a fulminate mercury switch to collapse setting off the improvised flash bangs we were working on. Loud noise, bright light, lot a smoke and knocked us both clean out. I got a picture of her with soot all over her face from the security cameras."

It was then she noticed what he was wearing. His modified Interceptor body armor. "You wear that all the time. I've seen Kaname's in her room; that thing weighs a ton!"

"Naa, it only weighs about 10 or 11 kilos, say 22 to 25 pounds. Wearing it makes for a great workout. Besides I have most of the things I use the most on it. That way I don't have to waste time carrying a toolbox back and forth to the garage or the lab."

She looked to his left and spotted the shoulder holster, "And that?"

"How much has Kaname told you?"

"Not a lot. She's been talking to Dad since we got here. I mean, yeah, we've talked about girl stuff, sister stuff, school stuff, things like that. But when I ask her why she has things like that vest or a gun she clams up."

Wade thought for a second and decided to go with the 'Public' reasons for Sagara and Kaname being here. "You see that door?"

"Yeah."

"That's for me. Did you see any of the videos from the Diablo's a year and a half ago? The ones with Kim and that white suit she was wearing?"

"That was so cool!"

"I invented that suit. There's a lot of people who might want to try and force me to build other stuff like that. Sagara and Kaname? They're here as my bodyguards." Wade pulled the Glock, ejected the magazine slipping it into a pouch, pulled the slide locking it to the rear and presented to her butt first. "And this is my last line of defense." As she gingerly took it he said, "It's heavy."

Not knowing about firearms she started to slip her finger into the trigger well. She started when he said, "Keep your finger away from the trigger." Wade watched her as she looked at the blocky shape and something occurred to him, "You've never had firearms safety training have you?"

"In New York? No!"

He waved his fingers to take it back "Here." when she returned it, he released the slide, slapped the magazine home and replaced it into the holster. "Where's your Dad?"

"In one of the offices upstairs."

"Hold on a second." he moved to one of the intercoms he had installed throughout the building and chose the button for the living room "Mr. Chidori? It's Wade Load." a moment later he called again "Mr. Chidori, it's an intercom system, just push the button that says 'Wade' to talk."

"Young man, this is very convenient. What can I do for you?"

"Sir, could you come down to the armory, please?"

"Alright, on the way." A few minutes later he came down the stairs to see Wade and his confused youngest daughter. He found it a little unsettling to see a thirteen year old boy wearing body armor and carrying a gun. But after what Kaname had told him and what he had seen the last few days, he could deny neither the young genius' reasons nor his ability. This boy might have been a reclusive hermit six months ago, but his performance in the Sims yesterday proved he was also becoming a Warrior.

"Alright Mr. Load, what can I do for you?"

"Sir, bear with me a moment. One of the reasons people think I'm a genius is I sometimes see connections no one else does. I know basically everything Kaname has told you. The reasons she's here. Why she's armed. Everything. Matter of fact I know more than just the things she's told you. You don't have our clearances."

When Wade paused, Shunya prompted him "Go on."

"Sir, Sagara said something shortly after he got here that makes a lot of sense. 'Just because you have a skill, doesn't mean you have to use it.' We've all been receiving training in things I hope I never have to use. And I don't mean just firearms training."

"First Aid and CPR training come to mind. I hope I never have to give a heart attack victim CPR, because that means someone's having a heart attack. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes, I think I do. Your point?"

So when Wade repeated, "Just because you have a skill doesn't mean you have to use it, but if you need it….." As he trailed off, Wade glanced from him to Ayame, then to the firing line and armory door. It was a glance that Shunya didn't miss and he quickly made the connection this young Warrior/genius was trying to get him to see. Shunya had made the connection on his own that because of his oldest daughter's situation he could be in danger as well, and Ayame by association. He caught what the teen was trying to say without saying it in front of Ayame. The two of them should learn basic self defense at least.

"Very well, as soon as Kaname returns I will…"

Wade interrupted him with, "Sir, with all due respect, they're pretty busy. I can get ya started. No time like the present."

Shunya wasn't to sure about that, after all, Wade was just thirteen. But he had some training from years ago and thought he could spot any glaring mistakes Wade might make. "Alright, young man, what would you suggest?"

"Follow me." Wade led them to a room that Ayame hadn't seen yet. The inside of the armory.

Stacked in racks along the walls were weapons of every sort. M-4 carbines, shotguns, FN-2000's, racks of differing types of pistols. Boxes were stacked in the back with ammunition and grenades. There was a set of assault weapons that had magazines loaded nearby and ready for instant deployment.

The only thing Ayame could say was "Whoa!"

Wade looked at Shunya's hands for a moment and selected a Glock .40 which he set on the table in the middle of the room. "Ayame, I asked you earlier if you had firearms safety training. You wanna learn?"

Her eyes grew and her jaw dropped. She looked at her father who sighed and nodded. He didn't like it, but Wade had made a very good point. It was better to know and never need it, then need it and have no clue.

"Sure!"

Her exuberance reminded Wade of something. Himself when Sagara started training him. So Wade decided to do the same thing Sagara did to get his attention. He selected a Browning .380 BDA similar to Kaname's for her. He grabbed a few magazines for each and loaded everything into a bag and escorted them out of the armory, then locked it.

He excused himself for a second and went to his lab. He printed out a picture and went to the firing line. He taped the picture to one of the man-shaped targets and sent it downrange. It was a picture of Ayame taken from one of the security cameras.

Wade shucked his Glock 10 MM, pulled the slide and fired at the target. Two center mass, one to the head, just like he had trained. He locked the slide to the rear, ejected the mag and set the weapon on the shelf, muzzle downrange and turned to face the pair behind him.

Ayame was horrified, but Shunya had to admire the way the boy had gotten his flighty daughter's attention. He didn't think he had ever gotten it so easily.

Wade was very serious when he said, "These things are no joke and they're not toys. When I showed you my pistol before, the first thing you did was put your finger on the trigger. NEVER, put your finger on the trigger unless you're going to pull it. NEVER point a gun at anybody unless you're going to shoot them. When you're on the firing line ALWAYS keep the muzzle downrange."

Wade reached into the bag and pulled out the BDA, "Now, this is the same kind of handgun Kaname uses. It's a Browning .380. The rounds are big enough to have a decent stopping power, but they're small enough to let the grip fit your hand comfortably." He locked the slide back and handed it to her butt first. "Remember, don't touch the trigger. Lay your forefinger alongside the trigger well." When she had a grip, Wade pulled the Glock .40 and repeated the procedure with Shunya. "This is a Glock .40 caliber, Sir. Slightly bigger than a 9 mil."

At every turn he carefully explained things. He concentrated on Ayame as Shunya watched. He showed her where the safety was, how to load and chamber the weapon, how to safely de-cock it and most importantly how to lock and clear it.

So far Shunya was impressed. The young man was quite serious about the subject. He wasn't trying to glamorize it to impress either him or his daughter. Nor did he try to downplay the danger of what it was he was teaching them. When Shunya asked him, "Young man, how long have you been handling firearms?", the answer was surprising.

"Sagara started training me shortly after he got here a couple of months ago, Sir."

The fact that the Sergeant his daughter was gaga over had given this boy such a serious demeanor on the firing line was startling. Wade turned his attention back to Ayame and proceeded to show her how to stand, how to grip the weapon, sight the weapon and squeeze the trigger.

"Squeeze the trigger, don't pull it. When it fires, it fires; it should almost be a surprise." Wade had her dry-fire the weapon a few times and set the weapon on the shelf, then turned his attention to Shunya. He went through the same procedures with the man as he did with his daughter, changing nothing except for the differences in the handgun itself.

Shunya Chidori still wasn't quite sure about the Sergeant his daughter had set her cap for, but other than a few instances of chaos Kaname had mentioned from back in Sengawa, Sousuke Sagara was beginning to impress him despite his initial misgivings.

**********

When the buzzer to the groundside doors sounded, Wade, to Ayame's disappointment and Shunya's raised eyebrow at said disappointment, called a halt to the impromptu class. He secured the two handguns in a strongbox in the foyer of the firing line that was there for just that purpose. He led the other two upstairs, checking the security cameras on his Kimmunicator. It was the truck that was supposed to collect Ron's Galaxie and transport it to the paint shop.

Ron had spent the last few days finishing up everything he could before the car was to be sent off. Ron thought that it would only be a few days work after the paint shop and upholstery shop finished with the car before he could have it on the road. Problem was, as far as Ron knew the painters wouldn't be finished for weeks. Grinning, Wade knew better. Ron's birthday was the middle of next week and Roger had been a busy beaver for the last few days.

Once the car was loaded, Shunya offered to help Wade police up the brass and clean the firing line, but the teen turned him down. So he excused himself after thanking Wade for the lessons. Before he left, he did order Ayame to help.

Shunya's visit to his daughter might have been a bit of a vacation, but he still had things that required his attention back in New York. Luckily, the computer station in the upstairs offices had more than enough resources to handle the task. While he was online, he placed an information request to U.N. Security about self-defense classes and carry permits. Wade's point about the possible danger to both him and Ayame had landed in fertile ground.

Wade, with Ayame in tow, went back to the firing line to clean up. As he locked the pistols in the armory, he had her sweep up the brass casings and drop them into a barrel in the armory to be sent out for recycling and reloading. As they went about the cleaning duties, they talked.

She asked him about the simulation she saw yesterday. "When you were in that machine yesterday, weren't you scared?" For some reason Wade was starting to fascinate her. Here was someone her age that did things she had only seen in the movies. He was still a little chubby, but carrying around 20 plus pounds of body armor all day and the physical training he was doing everyday was changing that. Fast.

He shrugged, "Not really. Unlike Kim and Ron, I knew it was a Sim. If it had been real I probably would have."

"She did freak yesterday, didn't she?"

"She's not normally that bad. But she and Ron have only patched things up a few weeks ago. If I'd seen any of them really hurt or killed for real, I think I'd freak too."

"You've gotten pretty tight with sis, haven't you?"

If Wade would have been a lighter color then the mocha he was, Ayame would have seen the slight blush. He was able to cover the rest of the nervousness her question raised by motioning her out of the armory. Walking out he answered her question with, "I've been tight with Kim and Ron for years. Sagara and Kaname? They're gettin' there, fast!" He grinned, "Part of it's the training they've been torturing me with. Another part….." he trailed off as he considered how to say what it was he wanted.

"Another part?"

He led her to the lab as he continued talking, "I don't know if I know how to explain this, but you see, outside of Kim and Ron, Sagara and Kaname are the first people besides my parents who treat me like 'Wade'. Not like Doctor Load or like some kinda brainiac weirdo. Just me! I finished my first Doctorate…" He saw her confused look. ", that's like the sixth year of college, when I was eleven."

"No way?!"

"Yeah. But I was finishing classes and the other students were like 26, 27 years old. Kim and Ron knew me either through a computer screen or one of these." He held up the Kimmunicator. "They knew I was different, but they didn't treat me that way. Especially Ron! To them I was just Wade. I was their super genius/tech guru, but I was always Wade first. They were the first real friends I've had."

"There for a while, I thought I was gonna lose my mind. Kim and Ron couldn't help, they didn't know and couldn't understand. But Kaname does. We have to work pretty closely while she's teaching me some things. And what she's been showing me has kept me from going bananas."

"And Sagara! Ya know, to him, it doesn't matter that I'm like ten times smarter than he is, he doesn't care. He treats me the same as he does everybody else." Wade considered this as he started putting stuff away in the lab. "Unless they're bad guys that is. That's one guy I would NOT want mad at me. Ron either. If those two ever got torqued at the same person.." he gave a short whistle. "Between the two of them, they could level this building."

"I'll tell you something else about Sagara, there's not a doubt in my mind he'd jump in front of a bullet for me! For any of us! He'd do anything to protect us. Your sister, me, Kim, Ron," he looked her in the eye, "You and your dad, too. If half the stuff I've heard about him true, half the stuff Kaname's told me, he wouldn't hesitate."

Wade looked very serious now, "And when you spend time around somebody that would do that for you, after a while, you start to feel the same way about them. Anybody that hurts them, they're gonna answer to ME!"

**********

Shunya silently backed away from the door, turned and quietly walked back to the main door. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop on the conversation between his daughter and the boy. He had come down to offer to take them to Lunch and caught the boy talking about the people he lived with.

The part of the conversation that interested him was the part about his eldest daughter and, most importantly, Sagara. Shunya could tell the young man, had in a few short months, fostered a fierce devotion in the teen genius that seemed to border on a slight bit of hero worship. If Wade's tone was anything to go by, Shunya believed the boy was deadly serious in his declaration about making someone pay for hurting any of his Teammates.

The NCO had given a boy barely in his teens an appreciation of the deadly nature of firearms that he hadn't seen since his days as a Soldier in the JSDF. Even some of the instructors weren't as serious as the boy that had given him a refresher course.

Sagara, polished by Miss Possible, had also given his daughter the skills to lay out her own Father on the Dojo floor. And in less then three months taught four people, one of them a child and the others barely adults, to take on some of the most capable Combat Soldiers in the world head-to-head and win.

Admittedly Sagara's team had the superior equipment, but he had listened in on both sides of the conflict and right up until the end, Sagara and to a lesser extent Kaname, were considered to be the main threat by the OpFor. Possible and Stoppable were considered to be minor threats and the boy hardly entered in to the thoughts of any of the trainer team.

All the planning and Battlefield communications revolved around avoiding Sagara and Kaname and taking out the lesser experienced Team Possible. It was a startling testament of how serious the Veterans considered the young man's skills.

Belfangan, Mao and Weber had correctly predicted Sagara's planning with the exception of the directions Sagara and Possible had gone. And Shunya had heard the shock and surprise in the voices of both Mao and Weber at the effectiveness of the return fire and movements of the pair they were engaged with, while Belfangan had almost completely dismissed Wade to his 'Death'

It was a sobering performance by the Team in general and Sagara's training in particular.

Shunya had also seen the way the young man looked at his daughter when he thought no one was looking at him. It was the same look Shunya himself wore in his own wedding photos while looking at his new bride.

And much to Shunya's discomfort, Kaname looked at Sagara the same way his wife, until the day of her death, looked at him.

**********

Kaname knew something was up. Her sister wouldn't shut up about the genius that lived in the basement. Ayame kept pestering her for details about the boy. At Shunya's insistence they were speaking Japanese. Shunya wanted Ayame to practice for when they returned to Japan next year.

When Ayame said, _"Ya know, I think he has a crush on you!"_ her accent was terrible, but her tone was slightly mad and disappointed.

"_Sis, Load-san a nice kid, but he's thirteen. And he's not Sousuke-kun!"_

"_You really like him don't you, Nee-chan?" _(Nee-chan: nay-chan, Big Sister.)

Kaname looked at her sister with a smirk and her answer shocked the younger girl. _"No I don't!"_

"Whaaaat?" Ayame reflexively switched to English.

Kaname was still smirking and stayed in Japanese. _"I don't like him, I love him."_

"Oh, you…." Ayame launched one of the throw pillows from the bed at her chortling older sister.

Kaname started getting an evil gleam in her eyes, _"You know, imouto-chan, since you're not spoken for, maybe we can have Otou-san set up an Omiai with Load-sans parents." (_imouto-chan: e-mo-oo-tho-chan, Little sister. Otou-san: oh-toe-san, Father, Omiai: oh-me-eye, a formal meeting between parents and their marriageable children for the purposes of an arranged wedding. And yes, this still happens in Japan.)

"Whaaaat?" Another pillow was launched followed by a third. "Don't you dare!"

They talked for a while longer, but as amusing as it was to tease Ayame about Wade, she had too much homework to finish to deal with the hyperactive teenage girl. Kaname eventually told her sister that KIM had known Wade for years.

As Ayame scampered away to find the red-headed girl, Kaname turned back to her History homework shaking her head at the new crush of her sister. She had felt a little weird that Wade had taken her sister and father onto the firing line, but she had worked with him enough to know that Wade knew what he was doing.

**********

Kim and Ron were sparring in the Dojo. It was only supposed to be a light contact session, but to Kim's frustration, she was landing waaaay too many hits.

"Grrrr, Ron, why is it that when we fight, I can kick your biscuit?" Crescent kick, backfist, snap kick, hammer fist.

"Because you're better then me, why do ya think!" Duck, dodge, twirl, block,

Side kick, back roundhouse, "OK, but when you and Sagara go at it, you can take him about half the time."

"So, we're not as good as you!" Block, duck.

As they fought across the Dojo, her frustration grew until finally, "Damn it, Ron! Then why is it I have to work my butt off to get a win from him! You keep holding back! STOP IT! Fight me!"

"But I'm doing my best, KP!"

"Like Hell!" She started launching a veritable blizzard of strikes. High, Low, Crescent Kicks, Hammer Fists, Front Snap Kicks. Through it all Ron blocked and dodged, trying to land a hit through the furious offense Kim was putting up when suddenly he landed a hard roundhouse kick to the side of her head throwing her to his left.

She rolled with the hit into her landing and came up to a knee breathing hard. She wiped at her now busted lip with the back of her hand and looked down to see blood there. Ron was first horrified, then confused as Kim smiled and said, "That's better!"

"KP, are you Ok?" he started to approach her and she launched him in a hip throw that knocked the wind out of him when he landed. 'OOFFFFF!" It was only his reflexes that rolled him to the side has her fist came in for the middle of his chest.

He rolled away, opening the distance and back to his feet as he tried to get he breath back. She was already standing, breathing hard, but ready to go at it again when she asked, "Where are we, Ron?"

He wheezed out, "The Dojo."

Panting, "And what are we doing here?"

Wheeze, "Training."

"That's right. And neither of us is going to get better if you don't try, really try, to kick my butt. I can't train with Shego anymore, least not until the baby's born. Unless you go all out without going Mystical Monkey, you won't get any better and I could lose to someone because you didn't go all out against me."

That thought started to freak Ron out. 'I don't really want to hurt her, but someone else could because I didn't try, but if I try she might get hurt, but if I don't….." Kim could see the doubts and worries bouncing around in his eyes.

"RON!" she got his attention again and said, "When we come in here, I'm not KP. I'm your opponent and trainer. Inside those doors, I have to kick your butt without killing you; I expect you to try and do the same."

"Sagara doesn't need what I can teach. He's a really good workout, I can't amp down with him because all he knows is Combat. Kaname and Wade don't have the skills we do. But you, you're close, but you have to get past this over protectiveness. And as good as Sagara is, I think you could be better. I can't get better unless I have somebody I can really fight and neither will you."

She smiled at her confused boyfriend and said, "Now come on, let's hit the showers. Afterwards, you can help me fix this split lip I have. I need a dose of Ronshine to make it better!"

**********

The next evening found a sizable Possible/Stoppable crowd in the club waiting for Sagara and Ron to give their hopefully winning performance.

There was this Japanese girl, a few years older than the Team, with a pageboy hairdo working the crowd, while her pigtailed paramour looked on in amusement. It was through her efforts that the word had been spread far and wide throughout the campus of the coming "Battle of the Bands".

She was taking bets as to who the winner of tonight's contest would be. She had several classes of bets going. For either Ron, Sagara or both, to win and lose. She was completely impartial. Because of their exposure, Mankey's crew were the odds-on favorites at five to one for each Mankey and his lead guitarist to win and ten to one for both.

Seeing the betting, Kaname placed two twenties and ten in front of the girl on both Ron and Sousuke to win. The girl looked at her and said, "A Fifty dollar bet at 10 to one odds, you stand to make five hundred bucks. What do you know that I don't?"

"Only that I've heard both sides here," She pointed to Josh onstage working his set, "and those guys are gonna lose!"

The girl just quirked an eyebrow at her and said, "I see! Well, good luck on your bet."

Kaname just grinned and answered, "I don't need luck! I've got Sousuke!" She headed back to the table where the rest of the party was waiting during a break in the band's set. Josh had done several cover songs trying to pump up the crowd so much that any performance Ron and Sagara gave would fall flat.

There was a bit of a disagreement about the use of Wade's help because, number one, he wasn't there. He and Ayame had stayed behind and Wade was going to help virtually. Second was the problem of using pre-recorded backup for Ron and Sagara's set.

The bassist solved the problem by saying, "Hey, me and him," he pointed a thumb at the drummer, "don't care one way or the other! We'll back ya up." For Josh, this would be a coup because neither Ron nor Sagara had practiced with the other musicians. He just knew his date was guaranteed now.

Sousuke thought about it for a second and agreed. Josh and the other player moved off to the side of the stage where several girls of the Mankey squad were waiting.

Surfing with the Alien

By Joe Satriani

http://www (dot) youtube (dot) com/watch?v=VO8QsoNOV_k&feature=related

Sousuke looked at the other two musicians, turned his attention to the bassist and said, "The song doesn't require a bass, can you play rhythm?"

"Yea."

Very well, I will show you the rhythm, I need you to pick up and copy it." As the bassist changed to a six string rhythm guitar, Sousuke looked back and forth between them and said, "Gentleman, this is a speed rhythm and a hard rock beat. Try and keep up." Both of them looked at Sousuke with a 'Say what?' expression.

When the other guitarist was ready, Sousuke started hammering out a hard driving repeating riff and the other guitarist followed along as the drummer picked up on the beat Sousuke was laying down. After a couple of refrains the player had it and Sousuke launched into an insane sounding lead.

He walked back to the center of the stage as Ron had advised him to do. Fingers were flying almost faster then the eye could follow. It was loud and pulse pounding, driving the unstunned members of the audience into a head banging frenzy. It was like nothing they had ever heard before. Of course they hadn't, the song was over twenty years old and because it didn't have lyrics, it was never a mainstream hit.

As for the stunned members of the crowd, Josh, his partner and their groupies, stunned didn't cover it. The only time any of them heard a guitarist play like that, they had hair to the middle of their backs and most likely did more then a few drugs. The idea of the quiet, somber, short haired, stern faced guy slamming out what they were hearing was unbelievable.

About thirty seconds into the song, James Possible's head popped up like a meerkat's and he hollered, **"I know that song!"** Anne was grinning like a fool as she started bouncing her head in time with the music. James looked at his wife and started banging in time with her. Even the Stoppable's were grinning and nodding in time with the beat.

Kim and Kaname hadn't heard because the music was almost deafening. She laid her hand on her bouncing father's shoulder and yelled, **"What?!"**

"**I know this song!"**

Kim's jaw dropped as she asked, **"You're kidding?!"**

"**NO! It's Surfing with the Alien, by Joe Satriani!"**

After a few moments Kim was able to pick up her jaw and hollered at her head banging father, **"Where've you heard this?!"**

James never stopped banging, **"In college, I'd listen to this kind of stuff to stay awake during labs! You mom too! We went one of Satriani's concerts in our Junior year."** He pointed to the stage where Sousuke just kept hammering it out.** "The boy's doing pretty good, he ain't missing a lick!"**

Kim turned back to her friend to see her wearing a huge grin. **"I told that Jerk Sousuke was better!"**

Sousuke wasn't wasting any thought or energy on theatrics like bouncing around and playing to the audience. He let the guitar do all of his talking. And it was doing exactly that. He just bobbed his head a bit in time with the music. Sometimes he would grimace a bit when he hit a faster piece, but for the most part he only wore an expression of concentration.

Kim looked back at her parents to see her mother's hair flying as she took in something she hadn't heard in years. Her father was right there with her, heads bouncing in time with one another. They had been transported back twenty years by a man young enough to be their son.

Suddenly, she saw them as they were in the old pictures that used to line the walls of the hallways and her father's office/den or in the old albums in her mother's keepsake chest. All of it lost when the Lowardian Walker landed on their home. Kim saw a young couple just out of college, with their lives and future ahead. A time when she wasn't even a gleam in their eyes. Somehow her teammate of just a few months had given something back to her parents they had thought they lost. She owed her Japanese teammate big time.

Kaname never lost her smile as she looked at her father who was looking at her boyfriend with an expression that was both confused and contemplative. He had seen the Fender sitting in the apartment. His daughter told him that Sagara played and he assumed that he was one of those people that played only fairly and irregularly. This was nothing like he expected. In the last few days, the young man had surprised him more than once. It was something he was going to have to work on.

Between the heat of a packed-full-of-dancing-college-aged-bodies-house, the lights and the effort he was putting into the music, Sousuke was starting to sweat. When he hit a pause in the lead section, he used his sleeve to wipe his brow and dove back into it again. In his mind, this was another 'Rescue Kaname' mission. The only difference this time is his weapons weren't Glocks and stun grenades, Arm Slaves and fighting skills.

His weapon was the Fender he was playing. And there was no way in any Hells he was going to let her down. He had let her down once. Just before the Hong Kong mission. Never again! So he pounded out a song he had gotten from his former Urzu teammate, Kurz Weber. If he was victorious, he owed the man again

On stage even the other two players were being dragged into the music. The drummer had started getting more and more into it. They had realized his comment of "Try and keep up!" was not a joke. He had meant exactly that. From the time he had stated showing the rhythm section, Sagara had set a fast and furious pace, forcing the other two to play catch up. But once they had it, they never dropped behind.

As the song wound down the crowd was screaming and hollering for more. The guy that played rhythm for Sousuke walked over to Josh and his other band member and quietly said, "Dudes, I hate to say it, but if that other guy can sing as good as he plays," he tossed a thumb to indicate Sagara, "we're going try to hire them and fire you two!"

**********


	26. The Flame

I want to Thank both CajunBear73 and Sentinel103 for their assistance, ideas and Beta work on this Chapter. :D

Chapter 26 The Flame

Josh was starting to get worried. He knew his band member was serious when he threatened to fire the two leading members. The drummer and bassist would either fire the two of them or quit altogether. They had been complaining that Josh and his buddy had been spending more time preening for the groupies and getting more arrogant, than the pair practiced for the gigs.

As far as Josh was concerned, they got the attention of more than a few of the local ladies and some spending money to boot. Life was good. But if they lost the drummer and bass player they would have to start over. And that wasn't good. His worry grew until he looked at the other person in the contest and he smiled. Well no worries there. He could see that Ron was in the middle of a breakdown, his nerves getting the better of him, as usual.

When Sagara finished playing, Ron realized that he wasn't going to be able to use the stuff he and Sagara had practiced on. He started to go into full freak out mode, ranting at Sousuke. "Sagara, what am I gonna do?! I only practiced the stuff we decided on! I don't know if these guys know the music. SAGARA, what are we gonna do?!"

Sousuke reached out and grabbed Ron by the collar of his shirt and pulled him close. "Stoppable-san, calm down. I will _not_ allow Kaname to be forced to accompany _him_ if there is anyway I can prevent it. This is just another battlefield. Panic will not suffice. Remain calm and we can work out a plan of action. I know several of the songs I heard you singing in the garage. We merely need to find an appropriate one that the other players know. Give me a moment to confer."

Sousuke gathered the players together for a quick conference. He started rattling off names of songs looking for something they all knew. He stayed with more contemporary artists because he doubted that these two knew some of the older ones like The Rolling Stones or Billy Idol. When he said, "It's a shame that you're not familiar with Carlos Santana!", he was surprised by the response.

The drummer asked, "Which song?"

Sousuke instantly said, "'Black Magic Woman?'"

The guitarist shot him down, "Dude, no keyboards! How about something else?" When Sagara made another suggestion, the drummer and guitarist looked at each other and grinned. If Sagara played it as good as he did the last one, they had no worries.

To Ron's amazement, within minutes Sagara had lined out a song that he knew and gotten the other two players set up. Ron just shook his head in jaw dropped amazement at how fast his Teammate could operate in a crisis. Sousuke looked at Ron and almost growled, "I know you know this song! Perform or Possible-san and Kaname-chan will have to go on a date with your rival."

The statement was enough to cut through the fears and thoughts clamoring through Ron's head enough to hear the rest of what Sousuke was saying, "I've heard you before, I believe you can do this and so does Kaname-chan. Most importantly, Possible-san has confidence in you. What more do you need?" A look of determination settled on Ron's face.

To Josh's dismay, within two minutes, the Japanese guy had not only got the group together, but had settled Ron enough to perform.

**Into The Night**

**Carlos Santana**

**Lyrics performed by Chad Kroeger**

**http://www (dot) youtube (dot) com/watch?v=X4x6Ruz6qTU**

After getting a nod from both the rhythm guitarist and drummer, Sagara started picking a Latin aire as the other player picked up the rhythm section. The drummer was tapping out a restrained beat and Ron grabbed the mic. This was just like the talent show back in high school or American Starmaker. Sagara was right! He could do this! Kim was counting on him.

He started belting out the lyrics as he strutted across the stage. When he started singing the crowd knew the song and from Sousuke's previous performance, they figured he could pull this off too. And if Ron's beginning was anything to go by, this was going to be good.

_Like a gift from the heavens, it was easy to tell.  
It was love from above, that could save me from hell._

_She had fire in her soul it was easy to see, _

_How the devil himself could be pulled out of me._

_There were drums in the air as she started to dance,_

_Every soul in the room keeping time with their hands,  
And we sang  
_

The further into the song he got, the more Ron lost himself in the music. He hit the chorus as the crowd started dancing as best they could in the capacity packed house. The owner hadn't cared one way or the other about the bet he'd heard about. He was just glad to see the room full of dancing college students. He was grinning like a madman and making money hand over fist tonight.

_Ay oh ay oh ay oh ay,  
And the voices rang like the angels sing,  
We're singing'  
Ay oh ay oh ay oh ay,  
And we danced on into the night,  
Ay oh ay oh,  
Ay oh ay oh,  
And we danced on into the night,  
_  
If Kim had been surprised that her parents knew the last song, she nearly fainted when they started singing along with Ron. James saw her face and hollered at his daughter. **"What? You think we don't know who Carlos Santana is? Your mom had the CD in the old house."** Both of her parents were wearing huge grins as they bobbed and danced in the chairs. The song was only a couple of years old and she had never suspected they would have anything this contemporary.

_Like a piece to the puzzle that falls into place,  
You could tell how we felt from the look on our faces,  
We was spinning in circles with the moon in our eyes,  
No room left to move in between you and I,  
We forgot where we were and we lost track of time,  
And we sang to the wind as we danced through the night,  
And we sang.  
_

Kim looked to the other side to see Kaname grinning and her father with a very slight smile, tapping a finger in time with the beat. On the far side of her parents, the Stoppable's were nodding in time, watching their son as he drew the crowd into the music. He wasn't as good as the original singer, but he wasn't bad. And what he lacked in raw talent, he was making up with showmanship. He was playing to the crowd and they loved it. They didn't know Ron Stoppable the MHS food chain loser or the Team Possible Buffoon. They saw a guy wowing the crowd like Josh Mankey had never done.

_Ay oh ay oh ay oh ay,  
And the voices rang like the angels sing,  
We're singing'  
Ay oh ay oh ay oh ay,  
And we danced on into the night,  
Ay oh ay oh,  
Ay oh ay oh,_When Sagara dropped into the solo riff, Wade and Ayame were eating popcorn watching on Wade's system. One of the advantages of having the world wired was the fact you never really had to leave your home. He had set up a couple of remote audio/visual sensors to work as the back-up, but Josh's complaint had nixed the plan. So instead they had decided to just enjoy the show.

And we danced on into the night,  
Ay oh ay oh,  
Ay oh ay oh,  
And we danced on into the night,

Ayame glanced from the screen to say "He's good!"

Munch, munch "I know. It was either that Kaname was gonna kill him!"

"What?"

"She didn't tell you? Oh get this." Wade started telling her about how Sousuke first picked up the guitar because Kaname had told him to "Find a better hobby!"

Ayame knew her sister could have a temper, but MAN this was too much. Of course, that's not to say Sagara didn't provoke her a bit. "Exploding shoe lockers? You're kidding right?"

Wade put another handful of popcorn in his mouth watching screen. "Nope, when I told you Sagara could level this building, I meant without trying and without an Arm Slave! When it comes to destruction, he's practically a force of nature."

_Like a gift from the heavens, it was easy to tell.  
It was love from above, that could save me from hell._

_She had fire in her soul it was easy to see, _

_How the devil himself could be pulled out of me._

_There were drums in the air as she started to dance,_

_Every soul in the room keeping time with their hands,  
And we sang_The crowd was completely into the performance. Grinding and bouncing, arms in the air and the girls were throwing their hips around as they moved to the rhythmic beat, Ron's lyrics and Sousuke's guitar. Kim and Kaname watched as their guys were dashing Josh's hopes in front of his eyes.

Josh couldn't believe what he was seeing. The blond goofball of Middleton High was showing him up in one of his regular venues. Inconceivable didn't begin to cover it. Even the girls standing next to him were dancing on the side stage. And to Josh the mind boggling part was Ron and Japanese guy were using his own band as backup! A couple of guys they had never practiced with!

_Ay oh ay oh ay oh ay,  
And the voices rang like the angels sing,  
We're singing.  
Ay oh ay oh ay oh ay,  
And we danced on into the night,  
Ay oh ay oh,  
Ay oh ay oh,  
And we danced on into the night,  
(And the voices rang like the angels sing),  
Ay oh ay oh,  
Ay oh ay oh,  
And we danced on into the night,  
Ay oh ay oh ay oh ay,  
(Ay oh ay oh),  
Ay oh ay oh ay oh ay,  
(Ay oh ay oh),  
Singing ay oh ay oh ay oh ay,  
(Ay oh ay oh),  
And we danced on into the night.  
_

When the song started winding down Sagara and Ron looked at each other and Sagara nodded in silent acknowledgement, while the crowd was screaming for more. The rhythm guitarist was pounding Ron of the back, "Dude, what were you worried about? That was great! You wanna job?"

"Uhhhhh, What?"

Sagara interrupted the chain of thoughts with, "Stoppable-san, we still have one song left."

"Huh? Oh right, give me a second!" He and Sagara had talked about it and he thought he had to out perform Josh. He didn't realize they had already won the bet. For a change, he was too focused on the mission at hand.

**********

_**The Flame**_

_**Cheap Trick**_

_**Words and music by Bob Mitchell and Nick Graham  
http://www(dot)you tube(dot)com/watch?v=muhFxXce6nA**_

As Ron walked out to take his place for the last song, he drug a chair with a him and set it in the middle of the stage. He jumped to the floor, pulled Kim up from her seat and hauled her to the waist high platform.

"Ron?!"

"Go with me on this, KP!"

Sagara knew what Ron had planned and helped pull the two of them up. When they were standing, Ron escorted Kim to the chair and sat her down three-quarter facing the audience. He nodded to the rest of the players and Sagara started plucking a soft melody. A moment later Ron picked up the lyrics, looking at Kim the entire time.

He started slow and soft, like the first drizzle of a summer shower. He had taken a knee beside her and was gently holding her hand as he sang. She was surprised at the expression he was wearing. Total adoration. Anybody with eyes could see the love shining within his brown orbs.

_  
Another night slowly closes in,  
And I feel so lonely.  
Touching heat freezing on my skin,  
I pretend you still hold me.  
I'm going crazy, I'm losing sleep.  
I'm in too far, I'm in way too deep over yooooou.  
I can't believe you're gone.  
You were the first, you'll be the last.  
_

He was pouring everything into the song. His heart, his soul, the love he felt for her, the pain he felt when they split for nearly three months, good times, bad times, everything! She felt like her insides had turned straight to goo. Ron was singing for her… and her alone, and every person in the audience knew it.

There was a couple of hundred people in the club, but they were completely alone, lost in each others eyes. Cocoa and Emerald. Nothing else mattered. The world could have ended then and they might not have even noticed. She knew Ron was a decent vocalist, but the way he sounded right then, she would remember to her dying day.

_Wherever you go, I'll be with you.  
Whatever you want, I'll give it to you.  
Whenever you need someone to lay your heart and head upon.  
Remember; after the fire, after all the rain,  
I will be the flaaaaaame.  
I will be the flaaaaaaaaaaaame.  
_

Kim knew there was an indescribable difference between when Sousuke played for Kaname and when he played to relax. Kaname described it as passion and that was what she was seeing right here, right now! Passion. For her and her alone. The other song he might have performed for the rest of the audience. But this was for her.

He was making love to her with his words, his eyes and his voice. She just looked at him as he poured his heart out to her. Tears sliding down her face, she reached out and cupped his cheek as his sang. She decided that consummation of everything they had would be happening. Tonight. She was more than ready; and hoped that he was too.

_Watching shadows move across the wall,  
I feel so frightened.  
I wanna run to you, I wanna call,  
But I've been hit by lightening.  
Just cant stand up, for fallin apart.  
Cant see through this veil across my heart, over you.  
You'll always be the one.  
You were the first, you'll be the last._No one in the rest of the club was speaking. Some were almost unwilling to even breathe for fear of breaking spell that was being woven on the stage. Josh had done enough shows to know which way the audience was going to go.

Ron's pulling of Kim to the stage had been a masterstroke. It had been the finishing move that had drawn the audience, if only for a brief time, into the orbit of the two soon to be lovers that were the center of the room. No one doubted the feelings on display, particularly Ron's. The locals would talk about this performance for years as an example of what to aim for in a love song.

_Wherever you go, I'll be with you.  
Whatever you want, I'll give it to you.  
Whenever you need someone to lay your heart and head upon.  
Remember: after the fire, after all the rain,  
I will be the flaaaaame.  
I will be the flaaaaaaaaaame.  
_

James Possible stood and started towards the stage when Anne grabbed his wrist, hissing at him, "Where are you going?"

James answered in the same quiet voice, "To get Kimmie-cub when the song ends!" He was looking up at the stage where is daughter was looking at Ron with a look of undisguised adoration.

"Why?" She knew exactly what her husband was thinking and wanted to stop it before he embarrassed either himself or his daughter.

He looked back at his wife and whispered, "Anne, after this, you know what's going to happen when they get back to the garage." Even after all this time he still couldn't bring himself to call it 'their place' or even worse 'their house'.

"Where are you going to take her? Back to our house?"

"Of course."

"And what are you going to do when she refuses, drag her out of here like she's seven?"

"But Anne…"

"James, sit down or you'll be in more trouble with me than you've ever been in."

"Anne?"

"Sit, now! What happens, happens."

"Anne!"

_I'm going crazy, I'm losing sleep.  
I'm in too far, I'm in way too deep over you.  
You'll always be the one.  
You were the first, you'll be the last.  
_

She looked towards the stage and few tears had started down her face, "You heard me, James. She's a young woman in love with a young man that would move heaven and earth for her. He would die for her, James. He's even killed to protect her." She looked back at her husband. "What more could you ask for in a young man for our daughter." Anne was crying at how lucky her daughter was.

He saw the tears of his wife, lover, best friend and the mother of his children. He looked back at the stage where Ron was telling both Kim and the world what she meant to him. It was at that moment that James Timothy Possible realized that his daughter, his Kimmie-cub was no longer a little girl.

She had left the nest a couple of months before, but now he knew she would never return except for a visit. She had moved on and replaced him with Ronald as the most important male in her life. And now that he really thought about it, it happened a long time ago. Her Junior Prom at least. Probably before that, even if she didn't know it herself.

_Wherever you go, I'll be with you.  
Whatever you want, I'll give it to you.  
Whenever you need someone to lay your heart and head upon.  
Remember: after the fire, after all the rain,  
I will be the flame.  
I will be the flaaaaaaaame.  
_

Ron had stood and pulled Kim up with him. He had pulled her close and kept singing for her, eyes never wavering. She was seeing the culmination of months of pain and effort and work to give him the confidence she saw in him here. She knew Ron could be a goofball at times, but she also knew it was often a front to hide his fears and insecurities behind a shield of humor.

_  
Whatever you want, I'll give it to you.  
Wherever you go, I'll be with you.  
And whatever you want, I'll give it to you._

A shield that he would probably use the rest of his life, but he wouldn't have to.

**********

As the song ended, their lips met in a soul searing kiss and pandemonium erupted from the audience. Raising the roof was an understatement at this point. The females in crowd were screaming at how lucky the petite red-head was. The guys were hollering, adding their voices to tumult in the club. Through it all Kim and Ron were oblivious to it.

Sagara weighed the sound assaulting the stage and came to the conclusion they had won. He was about to confront their opponent about performing his penance concerning the bet when Kaname barreled onto the stage and joined her friend in lip locking her man. It was only his preternatural reflexes that allowed him to slide the guitar to his back out of the way before she slammed into him like a runaway cruise missile.

Her father watched with a small melancholy expression. His Japanese cultural inhibitions only allowing him the smallest of windows to the inside of his heart. He looked to the father of the other girl on the stage and saw the same expression he was feeling.

James looked back at the Japanese father and because of the similarity of feelings, saw quite clearly what the man was feeling. The feeling of a father losing his daughter. He pulled out the keys to the car and laid them in Anne's hand. "Honey, I'll be home late. Don't wait up. I'll try to land on either the guest bed or the couch."

"James?"

"I'll be home later tonight." He approached Shunya and said, "There's an excellent little hole in the wall over by the Center. It's about ten minutes by cab from there to my house. You can have either the guest bed or the couch, whichever one you land on. What do ya say?"

Shunya looked at the stage where his daughter seemed to be making every attempt to tongue wrestle the Soldier into submission. The problem was, the young man was a Soldier and would never surrender. She would have to beat him down, and looked more then happy to try. He remembered his wife and her passion. It was something Kaname came by honestly.

Shunya bowed slightly to the much taller American, "It would be my Honor, Possible-sensei."

"I think under the circumstances, you can call me James."

"And I am Shunya, James-san."

**********

Before they left the club, they had a few things to take care of. The first was, much to Josh and his partners relief, declining the offer of the drummer and bassist to join up with them. Neither of them had the time to devote to a band. The second, to Josh's dismay, was insuring that he carried out his portion of the wager.

Kim and Kaname had even thoughtfully prepared his ad for him. It prominently featured his likeness surmounted by Ron and Sagara, clearly stating that he lost in the contest. Sousuke's picture was one Kaname had snapped in the apartment while he was playing the Fender one evening. Ron's had been a little harder to get. Kim and Wade had taken a picture of him singing into a screwdriver while he had been working on the Galaxie and adjusted the clothing from the coveralls he had been wearing to cargos and a T-shirt and changing the screwdriver to a microphone.

Josh started to try and work his way out of the bet when Sousuke mentioned something about explosives and how dangerous they can be if mishandled. He instantly turned pasty at Kim giving Sousuke the address of his current abode and he got the message clearly.

Kaname turned to the Japanese girl with the pageboy haircut to collect her winnings. As she counted out the 25 twenty dollar bills, she commented that Ron and Sagara, with the right manager, could have a very steady income on the local college club circuit. Kaname crooked a finger, calling the girl closer and whispering in her ear, told her just how much Ron and Sousuke were worth individually. The girl nearly swallowed her own tongue. Her boyfriend started tapping her back at the choking fit. Kaname walked away with a smug grin folding the 25 bills in half and sliding them into her bra for safekeeping.

The foursome returned to the apartment only to be accosted by two thirteen year olds. Wade was much more subdued then Ayame who was practically bouncing off the walls. Kim wasn't happy, her libido was in overdrive and she had completely forgotten the presence of the teen girl. Wade didn't concern her to much, he was in the basement, but Ayame was NEXT DOOR to her room and across the hall from Ron's room. Leaving the Japanese couple and Ron to deal with the two teens she went to her room to take a looong cold shower.

**********

Much later that night, early morning actually, the two men staggered into the newly rebuilt Possible house singing a combination of Japanese and American drinking songs. The frightening part was Shunya was singing the American songs while James was singing the Japanese ones. It might have had something to do with the fact that they agreed to trade national drinks for the night. Shunya had gone after the Kentucky Bourbon with a vengeance, while James kamikazied on Sake. Both were horribly off key and because of their accents, totally incomprehensible to everyone but each other.

They were leaning into each other and only able to hold a straight line because Shunya, on the left, kept trying to veer right, while James, on the right, kept wanting to go left. All in all it was a workable arrangement. Until they got to the door and couldn't get it to open. After fumbling for a few minutes, the door opened like magic.

The two men looked at the door then each other and resumed their singing as they stumbled through, heading to the living room to hopefully to, at least, get to the couch. They didn't see the door shut behind them, nor did they see Anne locking it while wearing a bemused expression.

"You'll pay for this when you wake up Jimmy. You're lucky Ron's birthday in a few days and not today."

**********

The next morning, Anne had called the apartment and asked for Kaname. At her request, they brought Shunya a change of clothes, a toothbrush and razor to the Possible homestead. Kaname, Ayame and Kim , both, took great pleasure in snapping a few pictures of their fathers sprawled in what had to be very uncomfortable positions on the couch.

After getting them to an at least sitting position and dual "Uuuuuggggghhhhh's!" there was a few minutes that Kaname thought both men were going to kill Sousuke. He looked at the two barely conscious, hung-over men, leaned to Anne and quietly asked, "Mrs. Possible-san, where do you keep your spirits?"

She _**looked**_ at him for a second and got an amused grin on her face. "This way young man."

A few minutes later Sousuke came back carrying a tray and leading a grinning MrsDrP. Sousuke set tray down on the coffee table in front of them. It had two tumblers with at least four fingers of what _**had**_ to be liquor, probably James' scotch, four bottles of water and a bottle of ibuprofen and said, "Gentleman, Lieutenant Mao recommends," and he said the next confused, "'Hair of the Dog' the morning after along with fluid replacement and analgesics."

Anne and Kim gave Ron a questioning look when he muttered, "Wish somebody would a told me that!" Seeing the looks he asked, "What? Don't look at me funny KP! I at least got some water and aspirin into you back on the island." Which got Kim a questioning look from Anne.

"I'll explain later, Mom."

"Yes, you will!"

The look the James and Shunya gave Sousuke was murderous. They glared at the tumbler, Sousuke, tumblers, each other, "Uggghhh!" and reached for the scotch. After the two hung-over men had a chance to shower, change clothes and get some coffee into themselves, they weren't nearly as grumpy.

While the two men were cleaning up, Anne had noticed her daughter seemed to be out of sorts. Not the mood she expected her be in considering the looks she had been giving Ron the night before. Anne was nobodies fool so it didn't take her long to figure out what happened. Kim had been caught by the bane of all couples _in the mood_, an inquisitive and alert teenager. Possibly a pair of them. Considering the mood her daughter was in, it was probably a good thing the Twins were already gone for the better part of the day.

When the men finished getting ready, Anne, Ron and Kaname had gotten lunch ready for everyone. Anne privately thought about having a late breakfast, complete with runny eggs and greasy sausages, but since it had been years since James had come home like he did last night, she had mercy.

As they were getting ready to leave, James started getting antsy around Ron and Kim. Black Hole Deep was obviously not going to be effective any more, not with his own daughter working against him when it came to the threats. Ron would brave anything for her if she asked him too. He might run from almost anything, but when it came to his daughter, Ron was one of those courageous fools that runs toward the sounds of the guns.

Watching as they climbed into the two cars for the short drive to the Stoppable's, he was surprised to hear his wife chuckling.

"Anne?"

Shaking her head, she said, "Kim is so aggravated right now."

"About what?"

"James, they had not one, but two thirteen year olds at their apartment last night!"

"So?"

"James, do you remember what it was like for us when Kim was thirteen? Hearing like a bat and curious as a cat? Barely a nights peace?"

"Yeah, I do." A light of realization appeared on his face. "Oh…OH! You mean they didn't.."

"No. Looks she'll have to wait until their house guests leave!" She looked at her husband and she could see the gears turning over in his head. "James?"

"I wonder if I could get Shunya a job at the Center? We could always use someone with Diplomatic experience!"

**********

Shunya and Ayame were catching a late afternoon flight back to New York and the Team picked the man up for a last day in the Middleton area. It was the first day in weeks they didn't have something hanging over their head. School and homework, missions either minor and major, training in the Dojo, firing line or in the shoot house or as Wade called it, to Kim's grimacing, 'The Fun House'.

They drove to the Stoppable's in both Eleanor with Kaname driving and carrying Shunya and the Sloth with Kim and Ron in the front and Sousuke in the back being grilled by Ayame about Wade, her sister, Japan, Wade, Arm Slaves, the shoot house, Wade, Eleanor, Wade, "Tell meeeeee!" Poor Sousuke was flustered by the time they got to the Stoppable's, while Kim and Ron just smirked at each other because of his predicament.

Because of the time it had taken to get Shunya mobile, when they arrived, Hana was in the middle of a nap while Rufus napped at the head of her crib. He had become a rather fierce Watch Naked Mole Rat in the last few months.

Leaving Hana and Rufus had been the hardest thing Ron had to do when he moved into Roger's house at the beginning of the summer. He was tempted to wake them both up but his mother said they would be up in an hour or so anyway and to let them be.

They had only been there a few minutes when the doorbell rang. Barbara answered the door to see no one there. Only a brightly colored box with a card on the top that said "To the Birthday Boy!" She picked up the slightly heavy box and carried it into the dining room where everyone was standing. Ron's eye's lit up at the box. "My birthday's not for a couple a days, Mom."

"It was on the porch, Ronnie."

"Early Happy Birthday to me, Booyah!" Ron passed the card back to his father. "Hey dad, who's it from?"

Dean opened the card as Ron pulled the ribbon from the box. Dean, with Shunya standing beside him, had no sooner opened the card and saw a swastika when Ron lifted the lid.

Ron pulled the lid off only to see the wires that there were attached to the lid. He followed them down to the inside of the box where they were plugged into a metal casing. On the top of the casing there was a timer, counting backwards and 4 seconds on the clock.

"OH SHIT! BOMB!" Ron reacted without conscious thought. He pulled the Lotus Blade from the sheath on his hip where it was masquerading as a much smaller blade and shifted it into, of all things, a chafing dish lid. It was a large dome shaped lid for a serving pan. With a flash of blue in his eyes, he slammed it over the top of the package so hard the table was crushed beneath it, driving it into the floor.

The rest of the Team reacted with the same dispatch. Kim grabbed Ayame, spun her into the corner and covered the young girl with her own body. Kaname slammed into Barbara Stoppable and drove her through the doorway and into the living room.

Sousuke having no where else to go grabbed Dean Stoppable and Shunya Chidori by the collars and threw himself backwards through the patio door, glass exploding outwards as he followed it. After he cleared to door jamb, he spun and levered the two men around tossing them off the porch.

He had completed his spin and was setting up to rush back inside when he felt an impact of something besides the pressure wave of the device. He tumbled across the patio tangled with whatever it was and darkness soon claimed him.

AN: Both my Betas suggested I leave it here! Blame them! :P


	27. Get Ready, Cause Here I Come

Again my thanks go out to both CajunBear73 and Sentinel103 for their soundingboard and Beta work.

Chapter 27 Get Ready, Cause Here I Come

http://www (dot) youtube (dot) com/watch?v=FPE5kWbTPIM

Use the link to find the song

**********

Kaname was the first to recover inside the house, followed by Barbara. It might have had something to do with the screaming from inside the kitchen. Ayame! Kaname bolted into the other room to see her sister covered by her redheaded teammate. Apparently Kim had either been driven into the wall by the pressure wave from the blast or in her haste to protect the girl, had slammed her own head into the wall, knocking herself unconscious. Ron and Sousuke were nowhere to be seen.

The girls' screams had drawn her father through the smashed patio door. Shunya was about to pull Kim off of her when Kaname jerked him back yelling in Japanese, _"Hold on! Kim could be hurt!"_

"_But Ayame…"_

"_Is OK! But Kim could have a broken neck! Wait!" _Kaname knelt beside the downed girls and grabbed Ayame's frantically thrashing arms,_ "Ayame-chan, stop it or you could hurt Kim-san!" _The younger girl didn't respond at first so Kaname reached out and slapped her across the cheek,_ "Ayame!"_

The slap worked where hollering failed. "Stop it or you could hurt Kim-san! She might have hurt herself. Now hold still!" Ayame was trembling, but she froze. Kaname stood and looked outside to see Ron and Sousuke in a tangle and Mr. Stoppable pulling himself back up to the porch.

Kaname hit the panic button on the Kimmunicator. "WADE!"

The panic button had linked directly to Wade, bypassing the need for him to answer, "Kaname?!"

"We had a bomb at Ron's parents! Sousuke, Kim and Ron are down! We need everything here! NOW!"

Wade started hammering at his keyboard, "EMTs and Fire Department on the way!" More hammering, "Police and GJ responding! Who's hurt how?"

"I don't know, can you give me a scan of Kim first?" A blue beam came from the front of the wrist mounted device and Kaname played it over the other girl.

"She seems to be OK. Just a pretty nasty bump on the head. You should be OK to move her!"

Kaname carefully supported Kim's head as she had her father start to roll the girl off of Ayame. When Ayame was clear they carefully set Kim on her back and Kaname had Barbara keep an eye her and Ayame.

The younger girl was white as a sheet and after what she had been through, Kaname couldn't blame her. If it wasn't for all the explosions she had been exposed to because of Sousuke…….

"Sousuke!?!?" She bolted to the patio followed by her father, calling over the Kimmunicator as she ran, "Wade?"

"Ready when you are!"

She got to the heap of Ron/Sagara tangle to see Dean Stoppable at a loss. She knew how he felt; she was running on training and adrenaline. Inside she was shaking like a leaf. She pointed the Kimmunicator at the two young men and Wade didn't see any broken bones.

Assisted by her father and Dean Stoppable, Kaname gently started pulling the two apart and laying them flat. Sousuke's back was a mass of small cuts and gashes so he was laid on his stomach. Once they were laid out she looked for any obvious cuts and bleeding on the two and other than Sousuke's back there didn't seem to be any other major injuries.

"Wade, EMT's?"

"Two minutes."

Kaname looked around for what else she needed to do, "Blankets? Mr. Stoppable? Blankets? They could go into shock." Dean ran into the house. "Daddy, can you watch them?" Shunya just nodded and knelt beside the two Warriors. Kaname hurried back into the house to check on Kim and Ayame.

Shunya looked down at the welter of small cuts on the back of the boy, no young man, that had pulled him from the room at nearly the expense of his own life. He now had an Honor Debt with nearly every member of the Team his daughter worked with. Ronald for trying to cover the bomb, Kimberly for covering his daughter with her own body and finally, the young man he was kneeling beside who had pulled him from the line of fire.

He blamed none of the Stoppables for what happened. He had seen the Swastika emblazoned on the paper Dean Stoppable had opened seconds before Ron opened the box. And he knew what that meant! Shunya was gripping his hand so hard the tendons were popping. Whoever the enemies Ronald Stoppable faced were, they had just gained another one! He had to call his supervisors to let them know he would be a few days late in returning.

**********

Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep, there was noise. Not enough to be bothersome. Not even enough to wake him up. But now that he was coming around, it was there.

And light. There was light, bright light! And pain! He ached all over! Arms and shoulders mostly. Ron groaned as his eyes blinked open and he started looking around. "Unnnggggghh!"

"Well, hey there, Sporto!"

Ron looked towards the sound of the voice to see a grinning Shego. Just inside the doorway behind her was a G.J. Agent in full armor, carrying an MP5 submachine gun. The agent's eyes never rested, the door, Shego, the window, Ron, back to the door. Ron didn't know the guy, but he could tell the man was pissed about something.

"I was just coming to check on ya."

Ron was confused. Nothing new there, except, 'Why is Shego in my room? Wait a minute, am I in my room? This ain't my room!' Ron looked to the side to notice the medical equipment stand holding a heart monitor and bag of something, probably saline solution. Ron had been in enough hospital rooms to recognize one when he saw it. He might have even been in this one before.

He felt something different on his left wrist. He raised his arm to look at it and noticed his watch had a new band. A bluish metal band with no fastener or release. The Lotus Blade!

He looked around again and asked, "Shego?"

She started to approach the bed and the Agent was instantly on alert. Shego froze! Any other time she would have been offended. But first she had her unborn child to worry about, secondly was who he was guarding and why. The Agent was in the room because one of G.J.'s own was here, victim of an assassination attempt. It didn't matter that they were technically Reserve Agents, they still carried G.J. Badges. Every Agent she had come across was on the same hair trigger and they were all armed with weapons far more lethal than their usual shock watches and stun batons. In short, the entire Agency was pissed.

Ron seeing the bristling Agent nodded and said, "It's all right."

The Agent settled back into his watchful circuit. Shego stepped closer to the bed and says, "How ya feeling, Sporto?"

"Sporto?"

She was wearing her trademark smirk, "Well, you know me, I'm not happy unless I'm calling people names. And I can't really call ya 'Buffoon' any more. If nothing else, Drew might never forgive me." She looked at him seriously, "Besides, it's not true anymore."

Her normal smirk returned to her mint hued face, "Now let's see if I can play psychic and guess your questions and in what order. First, You, Princess and Soldier-boy were the only ones hurt." At the mention of Kim, Ron started to panic, but Shego rode over him to say, "Princess is OK, she woke up a few hours ago. Nasty goose egg, but she's all right." Ron settled down, he wasn't happy about it, but he was learning that while you may not like some things, you probably had to accept them. He knew he had gone off half-cocked too many times without either hearing or more importantly _listening_ to what people were saying and letting only the worst parts start to rebound in his mind.

"Soldier-boy took the worse of it. From what they can figure, he turned to try and get back inside to you when the bomb blew. You landed on him and rolled him around in the glass from the sliding door. He's alright, bunch a stitches, but he'll be ok."

Ron blinked, "BOMB?!"

"Boy, that hit you took really rattled your cage didn't it! Apparently somebody sent you an exciting Birthday present, complete with a Semtex filler! Your parents and sister, the little girl and her daddy are fine. You, Kimmie, and Sagara are the only ones who wound up in here. They're in the rooms next to yours. I just came from Punkin's room and she was still asleep. Sagara, they have sedated to keep him from tearing himself up any worse then he was."

"Right now all of you have some _real_ serious types like him," Shego used a thumb to indicate the Agent at the door, "both inside and outside your rooms." She chuckled, "Course, I think until I got here, the most dangerous one was your friend Chidori."

"Miss Doberman wasn't hurt. She was the one that got the ball rolling on getting you all taken care of. Since ya all got here, she hasn't left the hospital! She's been outside the rooms you all are in for the last 18 hours. But Bet's called me in and tried to convince her to get some sleep. That was an hour or so ago." Shego chuckled again, "When Cyclops tried to get her to disarm, I thought she was gonna shoot the woman! She finally gave in when the Doc said she could crash in Soldier Boy's room."

"You parents are staying with Possible's parents because their house is now the scene of a 'Federal Hate Crime'. FBI, State Police and the U.S. Justice Department were all butting heads over who got to take the lead on the case until the Prez flat out ordered that since there were four G.J. Agents involved and one of them being the target, Bet's was in charge! Once the house was secure, she unleashed your electro-geek! Nerdlinger's been stalking around your parent's place like a Kodiak bear, armed to the teeth! Since when does he carry a shotgun? He found the note by the way."

"What note?"

"The one that came with the bomb! It had a Swastika on it. Drew's beyond pissed. Ed ain't real happy either. They're both mad enough to chew nails and spit tacks. Humph, one good thing to come out of this. It's got Mullet-head so focused that he don't have time to bother me too much."

Shego glanced at the clock over the door and said, "Look, I'm gonna go check on Sagara, then I'll see about having you taken to Kimmie's room. How's that sound?"

"Uhh, yeah! That'd be great! Thanks Shego!"

"It's not a problem, Sporto!"

**********

Deep in the German Heartland, nearly a hundred meters underground, a short statured, jaundiced man was screaming into a microphone, "VAS IST DAS? YOU HAVE FAILED TO KIELL ZHE UNTERMENSCH! EXPLAIN!"

"Mien Führer, we don't know what happened, the device worked perfectly. Five seconds after the lid was raised it went off. The forensics people are crawling all over the site. As soon as a report is filed, you will have a copy of it minutes after I do."

"You have failed in zhe task I ave given you. Zhe Untermensch iz meant to pay. YOU WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN! IZ ZHAT CLEAR, DU!"

"Jawohl Mien Führer"

**********

The second time she awoke it was to a merely pounding headache instead of the jackhammer inside of her skull that was there before. When she woke up earlier, the doctor hadn't given her many options. If she would lay there quietly and rest, he promised that the nurses would tell her if there was any change with Ron and they would clear her to visit him as soon as they could.

The other option was she would rest in an _induced coma_ until the mild concussion she had suffered had a chance to heal. The doctor had dealt with Team Possible before and knew how stubborn they could be. The coma idea was firmly backed up by her mother. And since the verified concussion legally had her temporarily incapacitated, it gave her mother the right to do just that.

She looked towards the door to see the guard had changed from the last time she woke up. He noticed her looking at him and he grinned. Using his left hand, he pointed to the other side of the bed and she heard a snorting sound coming from her left. It was snoring.

She looked to her side only to see a familiar blond head lying on the bed. She smiled as her breathing hitched, she laid her hand on top of the re-growing blond mop and closed her tearing eyes, drifting back to sleep. He was OK and that was the only thing she needed to know.

**********

She had done this vigil too many times. Waiting for him to awaken from one injury or another. Saying Sousuke was the paranoid type was like saying it was warm in the Sahara at noon. If he didn't see a friendly face or familiar surroundings when he woke up, he was likely to start trying to E&E (Escape and Evade) thinking he had been captured by an enemy. So she turned the chair to face him and slid it close enough to the bed that she could hold his hand. That way she would be the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes. She knew her man, she was wearing her pistol in plain sight and had even wrote him a note telling him everything was OK in case she was asleep or out of the room.

The doctors had him laying face down to prevent pulling out any of the 60 staples they used to close him back up. None of the cuts had really been life threatening, but there were a lot of them. When Ron landed on him, Sousuke had been driven to the patio and dragged across the deck through the glass from the sliding door. After stitching him up, they had wheeled him into the room and placed him on a light I.V. sedative. Not enough to keep him under, just enough knock the edge off the pain and to keep him from rolling or moving around.

She had been on a hair trigger for hours, adrenaline pouring through her, mind racing, just waiting for the expected attack. But it never came. And a person can only stay at that level of alert for so long before it catches up to them. She had laid her head back to rest her eyes for just a second and she was suddenly asleep.

**********

Years of waking up in hostile territory had deeply ingrained a habit of waking up silently, assessing the situation. Pain across his back in numerous places. Without opening his eyes he could tell he had an I.V. in and was being drugged. 'Not good!' He heard a slight snore. Through slitted eyes, without moving his head, he glanced around. Kaname! He saw her and the fact she was armed. He suddenly relaxed. If she was here and under arms then this must be a legitimate medical facility. She was safe! Right then that was the only thing his drug addled mind wanted to know. Everything else could wait.

**********

All the guards had been briefed to know who was, and more importantly, who was NOT allowed in the rooms. So when a stern face looked in on the Japanese couple, the guard just inside the door acknowledged the father of the girl sleeping next to the bed with a nod, letting him know everything was OK inside the room.

Shunya had watched his daughter stalking the hallways of the floor throughout the night. It reminded him of an angry cougar he had seen in the New York City Zoo. Her hair flipped and twitched in agitation just like the big cats tail.

He watched her questioning the guards occasionally about the stairwells and elevators, when had the roof guards checked in last and whether the plain clothes Agents in the lobby had reported in. It was strange to see these men, who were obviously highly trained, respectfully answering her questions as if she was their superior officer. And his daughter's tactical mindset of guarding the wounded?! Unbelievable!

And when she was finally relieved by the woman with the eye patch and the mint hued young woman, the first thing she did was grab a chair, scribble a quick note and set herself next to the young man that saved his life. She had only stopped to use the bathroom a few times throughout the night, so it wasn't long before she dropped off.

He watched as the young man carefully reached for her hand resting on the arm of the chair, thumb gently tracing swirls on the back of her hand. Between what he had seen two nights ago and throughout the last week, even if he didn't express it well, Shunya knew the young man loved his little Kana-chan as much as he himself did. Maybe more. A talk was needed. Yes, he needed to talk to Sagara man-to-man. Soon.

**********

A pair of faces peered through the door into the room of the redheaded girl. They saw a young man sitting in a chair next to the bed laying his head beside her. Both looked to be sleeping soundly. James was looking at Ron sleeping on the chair next to his daughter with a wistful expression.

Anne noticed it and whispered, "James, they're fine, they just need some rest. Although I'd rather Ron was getting his in a proper bed. When the nurses tried to keep him in his room, he threatened to 'Unleash the Monkey Mojo' if they didn't leave him alone."

"Sounds like Ronald! Bout the only thing that would keep him away from her is probably death. Humph! Knowing him, maybe not even that! What can I say Anne. He sits on a bomb for her and now he's sitting here when he should be in a bed! He's really grown up, hasn't he?"

"They both have, Jimmy."

"When did that happen? I mean, it seems like a few days ago we were dropping her off at pre-school."

"James, that was over 14 years ago!"

"It hasn't been that long, has it? God, I'm getting old!"

"Come on, 'old man'. They're fine, they'll be released in a day or so. Let's go home. I'm sure Gene and Barbara would like to come visit the kids and the Twins won't be able to handle Hana by themselves."

James shuddered, "Here's a frightening thought! Imagine the havoc they could wreak if they get her involved with their experiments!"

Anne shuddered, "Heaven forbid!"

**********

Later that afternoon, Kim had been wheeled out for a series of CAT scans leaving Ron to return to his room. Much to his relief, they had removed the I.V. He really hated IV's because they made him have to use the bathroom without the enjoyment of drinking a soda. He was flipping through the mediocre selection of TV channels when a knock came from the door. No one 'just opened the doors' to the rooms the team was staying in. The guards both inside and outside made sure of that.

The guard opened the door revealing Roger peering around the door jamb looking around the room in mock nervousness. "Is it cool?

Ron smiled at his uncle and said, "Come on in, Uncle Rog."

Roger leaned down by the door and glanced under the bed saying "Ya sure? Last thing I wanna do is walk into your fun time with an IED."

"Ha ha."

"How're ya doing, boy?"

"Arms and shoulders are killing me. Besides that I just wanna get out of here. I hate hospitals!"

Roger took a seat on the bed beside Ron. "You're not the only one. I seen you girlfriend being wheeled down the hall grumbling about how she was fine and didn't need another test to tell her that."

Ron grew despondent at the mention of Kim "I can't believe this happened. Why would somebody want to blow me up? And the worst part was I nearly got everybody else killed."

"Ronnie, you need to relax. I talked to your mom and dad and that Chidori guy. Ronnie, you saved everyone there. You're a hero."

Ron shook his head a little. "I don't feel like a hero."

"I got news for you, boy," Roger said, "most heroes don't."

"But they we're trying to get me, Uncle Roger! It's my fault!" At the word fault, Roger backhanded him. The guard nearly shot him before he realized what Roger was trying to do. Hearing Ron talk like he was made the guard want to do something similar.

"Whoa?!?! Uncle Rog?!"

"Now, have I knocked that shit out of your head yet or do I need to do it again? If I ever hear you saying something like that again I'll show you why I can still kick your ass. You didn't do this. Somebody else did. They were aiming for you and they didn't care who else got in the way. That's Not. Your. Fault!"

Ron was still slumped and Roger said, "Tell ya what. Ya might have a hard time believing me cause I'm family." He looked at the guard and asked, "What about you? Was it his fault?"

'Thank God, now I let the kid have a piece of my mind.' The guard was the senior agent for the detail and had been with GJ since before the Ron Factor tests, He had seen the bouts of self-doubt the boy put himself through. He looked first at Roger, "No Sir."

Then he looked to Ron, "Agent Stoppable, you've got no reason to blame yourself here. I don't know who you've pissed off that they would go to this much trouble to get to ya, but I only hope that I can get an enemy that mad at me one day"

Ron exclaimed, "WHAT?!?!" Even Roger was a little perplexed at the guard's statement.

"We're trying to keep anarchy at bay here. And somebody that would try to blow up your family is just the kind of people we wanna drop into a deep dark hole and put a cement plug on top of it so they never see the light of day again, passing their food and water through a three by nine inch slot."

"And if you've got them that pissed at you, that means these snakes are gonna eventually stick their heads out of their hidey hole far enough and long enough for us to pin 'em to the ground with a forked stick, grab their asses and lock 'em up for the rest lives."

"I've followed the Team Possible mission logs and reports, and as long as they're focused on your team, sooner or later, they're gonna screw up. And when they do, you and your friends are gonna nail 'em to a wall."

"Meantime, we just have to keep our eyes open for the next attack. And now that we know what they're likely to do, it makes it a lot easier to keep an eye out."

**********

The following morning Kim and Ron were released and to the amazement of everybody except Kaname, Sagara signed himself out. "I do not need any pills or drugs, nor do I need additional surgery. Stoppable-sans birthday is in two days, I have things to do prior to then. I will return in ten to fourteen days to have the staples removed. Thank you for your care." He bowed and walked out the door.

Anne and Shunya tried to get Kaname to talk him into staying a few days longer, but she just shook her head, threw her hands up and said, "I watched him pull a 12 and half centimeter (about four and a half inches) piece of steel shrapnel from his own stomach, put a bandage on it and walk ten miles, then go into combat. If he wants to leave there's no force on earth that will stop him. Not even me!"

**********

Two days later, at an abandoned airfield, a transporter box truck, pulling a medium trailer arrived in the middle of the squashed X of the runways. The crew hit the ground running. The first thing they did was park the trailer to one side in the sparse grass growing to one side of the runways. Then they set up a medium sized canopy tent beside the trailer. Once the tent was in place, the transport team carefully rolled a car out of a transporter truck and into the middle of the canopy.

When it was in place, per orders they hid it with the soft sided cover from the trunk. Then they set up some tables on two sides of the area under the canopy. On one side they set up several monitors and computer equipment. On the other side they set up a small buffet. Then they hung up fabric walls to hide the interior of tent. When they were finished, the crew drove to the hangars on the far side of the airfield and waited. They had no problem with that because they were being paid very well for this day's work.

Twenty minutes later, a small convoy consisting three cars and a minivan approached, led by a beat up Ford Ranger. The Ranger parked about 10 meters from the tent, Roger got out of the driver's side and Ron stumbled out of the passenger's side. Roger started directing the rest into a line beside his truck. When a car had parked, people started exiting the vehicles. Kim had driven the Sloth with Kaname and Ayame; Sousuke drove Eleanor with Shunya Chidori in the front, while Wade rode in the back. The Stoppables had brought Hana and Mrs. Possible brought James, Jim and Tim in the minivan.

It had been a long two hours for the younger males in the GTO, because Shunya wanted to 'Talk' to the Soldier. Wade just tried to hunker down in the back seat doing research on his palmtop while Shunya grilled the young NCO on his 'intentions' towards his eldest daughter.

And as much as it galled him, Shunya had to admit, he was more than slightly impressed by the young man his daughter had taken such a shine to. He was intelligent and quick in the uptake. He had some holes in his general social knowledge, but he didn't try to hide it or bluff his way through. He openly admitted his lack of such. And after hearing the history of the Soldier, Shunya understood how the lack of understanding came about.

At the end of the trip he hated to admit it, but Sousuke had proven impervious to any intimidation tactics. He had been impressed at the lengths Sousuke would go to defend others in general and Kaname in particular. His actions four days ago and the GTO they were riding was proof of those lengths.

**********

Most of the people were wearing knowing grins except for Sousuke, Ron and the Tweebs. Sousuke knew what the deal was but wasn't about to let it show. Ron and the Tweebs were the only ones kept out of the loop. The 'rents had decided that the two younger boys wouldn't have been able to keep their mouths shut about what was coming and since this was supposed to be a surprise party for Ron, well, you get the point. That was about to change though.

Everyone was standing around when Ron asked, "Alright, what's going on? I know this is supposed to be a surprise party, but couldn't we have had it back in Middleton, instead of having to drive all the way out here?"

Kim deflected him by saying, "Relax Ron, we're just waiting for a few more people."

"Like who?"

Kim pointed to the East. In the distance Ron saw aircraft inbound. A GJ hoverjet flanked by the hoverjets of Drakken and Senor Senior Senior with a flat black unmarked helicopter in the slot position landed.

Senior bounded out with an agility that would have shocked anyone who didn't know the spry old man. He was followed more sedately by Junior and his girlfriend Bonnie Rockwaller.

Drakken climbed out of his craft and turned to help a visibly irritated, four months pregnant Shego who was harping about having to endure "Mullet heads". Motor Ed trailed at a slight distance, wisps of smoke rising from his trademark mullet.

The GJ hoverjet carried Dr. Director and her newly reinstated to flight status pilot, Will Du.

From the helicopter an ancient man wearing red robes with gold trim approached. To his left and right were Yori and Hirotaka. Master Sensei Toshimaru Ishido had arrived.

Senior asked, "We're not too late for the start are we?"

Betty piped up saying, "I think we seem to be just in time."

Sensei put in his two cents, "Ahh, most excellent, it would be a shame to miss the celebration."

Roger stood in front of the pavilion and asked, "Everyone here? Alright! Ronnie, I'm sure you've guessed that this is your birthday party. But what you didn't know is that a few of us bent the truth a few weeks ago. I had the guys at the paint and upholstery shops exaggerate how long it was going to take to finish. They finished two days ago. You can thank your girlfriend for the idea." He looked to James and Dean who were standing close to the tent, "Gentleman" They pulled the side covers off of the pavilion revealing the covered car.

"Booyah!" Ron hadn't been expecting the car to be finished until around the Thanksgiving break.

Everyone clustered into the tent around the car as Roger led Ron to a spot about 10 feet from the driver's side "Me, your Dad, James, Ed Lipsky and Wade got together and finished assembly. Wade installed the electronics. Senior there bought the airfield. He mentioned something about expanding his operations. Now are you ready to see your handiwork?" Ron had a stupefied goofy grin when he nodded. With a dramatic pause, Roger signaled Dean and James, who pulled the cover off.

And there she stood. Wimbledon White with very light, wispy, blue flames rising from just behind the leg pipes and curled up over the rear wheel wells and onto the trunk lid. The leg pipes started just behind the front wheel wells and opened just short of the rear wheels. Kim had no idea how Roger had found a blue to exactly match the color of Ron's MMP aura, but he had done it. The hood had an MMP blue colored U that enclosed the small hood scoop of the blower with the bottom of the U having a point that started at the very front center of the hood. The arms of the U traveled to the windshield, over the roof. Halfway across the roof they changed to flames matching the one on the sides and passed down to the trunk of the car.

On both of the front fenders, just behind the chrome trim accents, there was a stylized rampaging chimpanzee wearing a black gi. It's face had a snarling expression with bared canines and a blue haze rising from the eyes. Two-handed at its right shoulder, ready to strike, it was holding a katana that was glowing with an MMP blue haze surrounding it. In very fine script below the chimp "Monkey Power Rules" was written in both English and Kanji in a deep Royal Blue. Roger pointed out that it was Sensei's addition. Then he pointed to the rear fenders. In the same Royal Blue color and cursive script as the front fender, it read "Elma Lee". "That one was mine."

All the chrome on the car had been replaced with new parts. All four headlights had been replaced with glittering high intensity halogens. At the rear of the car, the tail lights had been changed to slightly pointed lenses and seemed to really look like a twin engine jet exhaust.

The burnished Crager American SS Classic rims sported huge gloss black-wall 295/60/15s on the rear and smaller 235/60/15s in the front. Ron almost had to tub the rear-end to get the tires under the car.

Roger opened the doors. The interior was white and had blue stripes on the front and backseats as well as the visors and headliner that exactly matched the exterior. The front bench seat had been kept to maintain most of the 'original look'. The carpet was a darker blue that had evidently been chosen for the ability to hide dirt. Every switch and knob in the car had been replaced with new parts. Mounted on the steering column, centered below the speedometer was a tachometer. There was a switch mounted on the top of the tach.

There were only three real indicators inside that the car hadn't been transported by time machine from the 1960's. The first was the stereo sitting mounted in the dash and the tastefully concealed speakers in the front and rear doors, dash and rear deck. It was a Wade special and had more functions than just being a stereo.

The second was the assortment of small, but easily readable gauges that were mounted to the shelf just below the speedometer. These showed various engine functions such as oil pressure and temperature, coolant temperature, alternator volts, and importantly, blower pressure.

The last indicator was the carefully hidden roll bar that provided a place to mount the new shoulder harness and the plush heavy narrow mesh net taking the place of modern headrests behind both driver and passenger seats. They hooked to the roll bar and dropped to hook to the top of the seats by hidden connections.

When Roger demonstrated how the front seat back dropped to meet the rear bench, he mentioned how he had, had a lot of fun in the drive-ins as a younger man. Kim blushed to the roots of her hair and James tried to scowl only to be bopped on the back of the head by Anne.

Ron was floored, the last time he had seen the car before it was sent to the paint shop, it had been the flat primer gray that he had personally applied and wet sanded to the slickness of glass, while the interior was primered and ready to paint, with all the seats and trims being sent to the upholsterers.

As everyone stood there gawking, Roger intruded with, "Now I want everyone here to understand something. Except for the final paint, interior upholstery work, the machine shop work, some of the electrical work and installing the stereo; with a bit of technical help from me and a little bit of muscle from some of the rest of you, Ron did every bit of the work himself. Including installing a new wiring harness throughout the car."

Motor Ed opened the hood and looked inside with a professional tuner's eye. The interior of the engine bay was a matching white with out the high gloss finish of the exterior of the car. The block and heads were painted Ford's engine blue, while all of the attached parts like the water pump, pulleys and timing chain cover were a matte black. The alternator, blower and intake were left a spotless burnished aluminum and the exhaust headers were a flat black down to some kind of Y-splitter.

"Little Dude, this is Righteous! Seriously!"

Roger hit the button on a fob and opened the trunk. Inside it was as spotless as the rest of the car and painted the same white as the engine bay, with new mats and a medium sized tool box, jack and a full sized spare. Nestled up under the rear deck were a couple of boxes that contained the stereo amp and a few other various electronics. There was still enough room to set four full sized tires.

Shego looked inside and comment, "Damn, you got enough room in there for a couple a bodies, Stoppable. Not bad!"

Junior looked to his father and whined, "Father, I want an American car like this!"

"Junior, Ron Stoppable has worked months on this automobile. He had greasy hands and damaged knuckles for weeks. Are you sure you're willing to put the effort forth? Besides, where would you drive it on the island?"

"Well, since you put it that way."

"Still, that's definitely a top of the food chain car." Bonnie interjected.

Roger looked very sincerely at his nephew. "Ronnie, I know we dyno-ed the engine, but the last time she was fired up inside the car was just before Aaron was killed. The keys are in the ignition, I'd be really proud if you'd crank her up."

Ron was stunned speechless. He grabbed his Uncle in a massive hug whispering "Thanks Uncle Rog."

"Don't thank me, boy, you did all the work! Now crank her up."

Ron opened the door and climbed into the car. Taking a moment to gaze around the interior, he looked down at the keys hanging in the dash. He reached down, took a hold of the keys, swallowed, took a deep breath and thought a quick prayer hoping the car would start. He didn't want to be embarrassed by failing with everyone standing around watching him. Ron took a leap of faith and turned the key.

WHOrrrroommmm rumrumrumrumrumrumrum

"A-BOOOYAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

"Y'all back up." Roger directed the people standing close to the sides of the car, then barked "Ronnie, punch it a couple times!"

WROOOOOOOOMMmummummummum WROOOOOOOOMMmummummummum

Even with the new suspension, the car rocked from the torque the 428 was putting out. Flames came from the leg pipes when Ron let off of the throttle. For those who had been around muscle cars they could tell the leg pipes weren't just there for show, but came directly from the waste-gates set just behind the headers. The other side of the waste-gates led to the dual 'Cherry bomb' exhaust. This was no low-rider. This car was a beast.

"RIGHTEOUS, TOTALLY RIGHTEOUS!!!! SERIOUSLY! Yeaaahhhhhh waaannnnnnwannnnnn" Motor Ed let his opinion be known ending the outburst with his trademark air guitar solo.

Ron looked up at the man who had started him on the journey to recovery after the disaster of graduation, with a huge grin. Roger just smiled through his scruffy, three day old, grey-shot whiskers and said, "Out-fucking-standing!"

Ron bolted from the car and slammed into his Uncle again. Roger patted the young man on the back saying, "Ya done good, boy. Now what say you take her out give her a test run."

Wade was really fighting his agoraphobia right then, but he wasn't about to miss this. He stepped up to Ron, grinning, and said, "Ron, all this equipment is here to monitor the test runs. I installed the sensors while the car was at the paint shop. Dr. Director and Drakken agreed to have the hover-jets follow you and transmit the video back here." The two mentioned stood to one side wearing smug and toothy grins respectively. Wade pointed to the side of the pavilion. "That trailer has enough gas to fill the fuel cell about five times and we have two complete sets of tires ready to go. That way we really see how she's really performing."

Ron looked at the car. He really wanted to take her out. But there was something in the back of his mind. He glanced at Roger, back at the car, to the people standing around and back at his Uncle. He knew what the car meant to the man better than anyone except for his deceased wife and possibly Steve Barkin. He knew Roger believed he would never have another chance to take her for a spin. But the older man stood there smiling at his younger relative.

Ron reached into the car, shut it down and pulled the keys. "Uncle Roger, I want you to take her out."

"No, Ronnie. She yours now."

"I know, but I want you to. Please."

"Why?"

"Because I know what she means to you and you think you'll probably never have a chance again. Please."

"You sure?"

"Yep!"

"Alright Ronnie."

Roger was hustled into one of the Nomex suits and a helmet with a built in boom mic and headset. He had a quick conference with Wade. When he told the genius what he wanted, Wade said it wasn't a problem, but asked him why. "Because it was playing on the radio the first time I picked my wife up for our first date and she always liked the group." Wade quickly loaded the data into the onboard MP3 player and set it to repeat as Roger had asked.

The gearheads of the group got together and laid out a plan for the first test run. Roger would go the end of a runway and head toward the other using the taxiways. When he got there and had a whole runway available he would test the supercharger. Since they had run the engine on the dyno for close to twenty-four hours, there didn't need to be a break-in on the CobraJet. They were free to turn it loose. Once he got ready to return he would test the brakes and anti-locks with a 'panic stop'.

Roger sat in the car and put on the seatbelt as one of the Twins used a short strap to hook the helmet to the roll bar. While this was going on, Will Du and Shego boarded the hover-jets to trail the car during the testing. Everybody else clustered around the monitors to watch the upcoming action.

Once they had the aircraft positioned on either side of the runway at a height of about 50 feet, Roger pulled the car into the noonday sun. He turned to left and smoothly accelerated down the asphalt. With two runways, both nearly 12,000 feet long designed to accommodate former Cold War bombers and the accompanying taxiways; there was more than enough room to "Get Busy" as Drakken would say.

"_Get ready" performed by Rare Earth_

http://www (dot) youtube (dot) com/watch?v=FPE5kWbTPIM

By the time Roger had reached the end of the first runway, he could already tell the car was performing better than it ever had before. Acceleration was smoother and more responsive than he remembered. The suspension was smoother as well; not nearly as harsh as the last time the car had been driven over twenty years ago. The independent rear suspension and Dyna-track rear-end made for a serious improvement.

_Never met a girl could make me feel the way that you do.  
(You're all right).  
Whenever I'm asked what makes-a my dreams real, I tell em you do.  
(You're outta sight).  
Well tweedle dee, tweedle dum, look out baby 'cause here I come.  
_

Roger drifted onto the left taxiway and maintained most of his speed towards the crossing runway. When he drifted left onto the other strip, he had 12,000 feet, over two miles of almost perfectly flat asphalt in front of him. He reached through the wheel and flicked the switch on the top of the tach. Instantly the blower started shoving nearly three times the air and fuel through the three Carter 400 carburetors. It was only the net behind his head and the harness that hooked his helmet to the roll bar that kept his head facing upright.

_(Aaahh) I'm bringin' you a love that's true, (get ready), Get ready, (get ready)  
(Aaahh) Stop makin' love to you, (get ready). Get ready.  
(Aaahh) Owww, don't ya know I'm coming, (Get ready, cause here I come) on my way. (Get ready, cause here I come)  
_

As he passed the center of the strip and blasted past the pavilion, he was passing 150 MPH with the big block motor screaming. Sensei looked from the monitors to Ron, grinned and said "Most impressive Stoppable-san. Excellent work." Roger forced his hand back through the steering wheel and shut the blower down. He decelerated and made a right at the end of the runway heading to the opposite end of the strip he had started on.

_You wanna play hide and seek with love, let me remind ya.  
(You're all right).  
Lovin' you're gonna miss, and the time it takes to find ya.  
(You're outta sight).  
Well, Fe Fi Fo Fo Fum, Look out baby now here I come.  
_

By now, Roger had a really good feel for the handling of the large car. It was all coming back to him. Like riding a bike, you never really forget how. When he got close the end of the taxiway, he did something the original designers would have never tried. He accelerated and power over-steered through a right turn, white smoke pouring from the rear tires. Pointing the Galaxie toward the middle of the airfield, he called out over the radio, "Hey Du, Shego, you think you can keep up? Bet I can cross the taxiway before you."

"It's a trivial exercise to maintain pursuit from the air. Our craft are capable of sonic speeds."

"Bring it on, Pops!"

_(Aaahh) I'm bringin' you a love that's true, (get ready), Get ready, (get ready)  
(Aaahh) Stop makin' love to you, (get ready). Get ready. (get ready).  
(Aaahh) Don't ya know I'm coming, (Get ready, cause here I come) on my way. (Get ready, cause here I come) _

Just as Roger passed the pavilion, he slammed the brakes. The antilocks kept the car under control as the 11 inch discs brought the car to a screeching halt in less than 200 feet. As soon as the car was stopped Roger hit reverse and powered the car in the other direction.

When the tach touched the redline, Roger let off the gas and whipped wheel to the right slamming the front of the car to the left. Just as the front of the car passed 90 degrees he let go of the wheel, slapped the shifter into drive and floored the pedal. The wheel spun back past the center and Roger continued through the reverse power slide. On the other side he hit the blower again. Even though he was already passing 40 MPH, the rear end of the car was lost in the resulting cloud of white smoke. Elma Lee would probably need new rear tires before Ron drove her home.

He was accelerating so hard, the rear end lifted and the torque from the rear wheels was pulling the front end up. The entire car was shuddering from the stresses Roger was putting on the frame.

_WEEELLLLL, If all my friends shouldn't want me to, I think I'll understand  
(You're alright)  
Hope I get to you before they do cause, that's how I planned it.  
(You're outta sight)  
Well tweedle dee, now tweedle dum, look out baby 'cause here I come.  
_

In a space of 12 seconds he had reversed course and accelerated past 100 MPH. Will hadn't been expecting anything like it and completely overshot the Galaxie. On the ground, Betty just shook her head. Only her exceptional flying skills and reflexes allowed Shego to stay close by spinning the hoverjet 180 degrees and tilting the craft nose down to use both the lift and thrust to counteract the inertia.

"OH, You sneaky old bastard!" Shego was grinning like a maniac.

"Never said which taxiway, did I? Hobble's dad hated that trick!"

_(Aaahh) I'm bringin' you a love that's true, (get ready), Get ready, (get ready)  
(Aaahh) Stop makin' love to you, (get ready). Get ready.  
(Aaahh) Owww, don't ya know I'm coming, (Get ready, cause here I come) on my way. (Get ready, cause here I come)  
_

Roger reached the taxiway just as Shego caught up. The only reason she was able to get that close was Roger had to slow down to make the turn. 'Top Agent' Will Du had been forced to cut the corner to get back in position. If he had been trying to follow the Galaxie in a city, there was a very good chance Roger would have given him the slip. Roger over-steered left onto the taxiway in the direction of the other runway then turned left towards the pavilion.

He floored the car one more time to feel the acceleration of the 428 CobraJet shove him into the seat. He brought the car to a screeching, shuddering halt in front of the pavilion.

He reached up and unhooked the helmet from the roll bar and climbed out. Pulling off the helmet, he grinned at his beaming nephew. "Ronnie, like I said before. Out-fucking-standing!" He clapped the young man on the back and led him into the pavilion for the rest of the party.

Two days later, Roger was dead when his beat up Ford Ranger erupted in a massive explosion.

**********

AN: This time it's the author that's the bastard :D


	28. He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother

I've had this chapter ready for close to two months. Sentinel and CajunBear saw it shortly after Thanksgiving. I've been trying to get here for months and they both kept pushing me to get off the pot and finish.

Thanks Guys

Dedicated to my Uncle Rog

**Roger Thomas Nichols**

**Staff Sergeant, USA**

**Veitnam**

**Bronze Star**

**Purple Heart**

**06/01/1950**

**06/23/1992**

Chapter 27 He's My Brother.

Twenty-five years ago, at the start of her Senior year, she was walking to school. Ten months before that would have been impossible. She had herself a mission and it concerned a short young man that the year before had had the locker next to hers.

Her father had picked her up after the day before Thanksgiving break in her Junior year in High School and was driving her home when a car barreled through the intersection T-boning the smaller import her father had bought for the fuel savings. The impact had scarcely touched her father merely knocking him out. But it sent her to the hospital with her back broken in two places. It was only through the Grace of God's Miracle and the fact the EMT's had been trained for the injuries, that her spinal column hadn't been severed.

The doctors had quickly immobilized her to prevent any further damage and sent her by helicopter, 150 miles away to the new Neurological and Spinal Treatment Center in Middleton. There they carefully reset the vertebrae and placed her in a steel bracing cage. She had pins driven into her hips, shoulders, parts of her remaining vertebrae and skull to prevent any movement of the damaged C5 and L1 vertebrae.

She spent the first four months in that steel torture device. About the time Valentine's Day rolled around they sent her in for surgery again to remove the cage and replace it with a removable fiberglass body cast.

Nothing was easy, not moving around, going to the bathroom, getting out of bed or even sleeping. Some of the worse parts was taking a shower. Part of the treatment was hanging by the neck in a sling that stretched her spinal discs to allow them to heal better. In order to get even remotely clean she had to have help. A girl going on 17 and she couldn't even bathe herself. When she got the fiberglass body cast, she had to be in the sling to keep the pressure off of her spine while she showered.

Her parents transferred to Middleton so they could be closer to the Center that was saving her from being paralyzed. By the start of the second semester she had been cleared to return to school. Middleton High School, but she was forced to walk around wearing no makeup, a steel cage and baggy clothes that looked like a frame tent.

Most of the students just ignored her, which was fine with her. Some of them reacted with pity which she wanted nothing to do with. And a more than a few of the 'Elite' constantly tormented her. She knew she was tall for her age and waif thin from both her natural build and the injury. But the last thing she needed was the football players and cheerleaders razzing her about it. She bore it with grace and did her best to just ignore them. But there were two people that treated her like there was nothing wrong.

He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother

Performed by 'The Hollies'

http://www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=C1KtScrqtbc

The first was her younger brother. Until she had her back broken, she never really knew her brother. His wry, sometimes caustic sense of humor. His inner strength and determination. The way he tried to never let any one down. While her parents fluttered around, treating her worse than an infant and tried to drive her insane, he just took it in stride. The way her parents acted about it was maddening enough to make her vow to never treat her own children the same.

Before she got the fiberglass brace, it took her mother nearly ten minutes to help her out of bed by moving her just a little at a time until she was upright. Her father was almost as bad. Her brother's solution was considerably more straightforward and a lot more inelegant.

He looked at her laying in the bed and sarcastically asked "Ya ready to get up?"

Sigh, "Yes please." She couldn't even turn her head to look at him.

"Ya sure?"

"Come on!"

"All right." He gently jumped on to the bed and stood up, straddled her and grabbed the steel cage just below her breasts. Then with a surprising strength, lifted her and shuffled her to the foot of the bed. Once her legs were dangling, he jumped off and pulled her the rest of the way up. "There ya go!"

She didn't know whether to be thankful or mad. He treated her like she was hurt, but not like she was a cracked Faberge' Egg.

_The road is long  
With many a winding turn  
That leads us to who knows where  
Who knows when  
But I'm strong  
Strong enough to carry him  
He ain't heavy, he's my brother_

One time, when they were walking home from school, just after she had gotten the new brace, she slipped and fell into a ditch filled to overflowing with muddy runoff from the snow banks littering the town. The pain was incredible, almost enough to knock her out.

She would have drowned except for him, but the problems were just getting started. Her parents would have totally flipped if she found her like that and it was still in the lower 30's so the cold was no joke. She had to get clean and dry fast, both to prevent frostbite and her mother's coronary and her dad's meltdown.

Her brother came to her rescue again. He practically carried her home. Then he saw more of her body that day than anyone besides her mother, or doctors for years, until she married her husband. He hustled her into the shower, got her in the hanging brace and pulled the soaking wet clothes and fiberglass brace off of her. Turning on the warm water, he used the separate showerhead and gently bathed the things she couldn't reach. As soon as the mud and grime was gone, he fetched her some warm clothes, dried her off and dressed her while she hung in the shower.

_So on we go  
His welfare is of my concern  
No burden is he to bear  
We'll get there  
For I know  
He would not encumber me  
He ain't heavy, he's my brother  
_  
Then he took the fiberglass brace outside and used the hose and a brush to clean the rest of the mud from the body cast while she hung there in the bathroom. He brought it back inside and used her hairdryer to dry it out before her mother got home from work. All of this before he got out of his own soaking wet, freezing clothes.

For years, they never mentioned to their parents some of the things he had done for her. Like the times he had come home with both eyes blackened and a split lip. "I fell off my bike going down that hill over by the Jacobson's." Either her mother never noticed or chose not to mention anything about the busted and bruised knuckles he hastily stuck in his pockets. And while her dad must have spotted them while they did the yard work, he only nodded at his son in unspoken understanding. When she cornered him about it, his answer was shocking. He had gotten into a series of fights with the Ramer brothers.

_If I'm laden at all  
I'm laden with sadness  
That everyone's heart  
Isn't filled with the gladness  
Of love for one another_

Both Kevin and Steve were on the football team and, outside of the cheerleaders, the worst offenders when it came to teasing her. Her brother just shrugged and said, "You're my sister. Nobody's allowed to tease you, but me!" He couldn't really do anything about the cheerleaders, but because he never quit, he got the other bullies to back off.

They might have beaten him up several times, but every time he saw one, the other or both, he barreled into them like rabid beagle going after a couple of pit bulls. Eventually they got the idea they had three choices, deal with the little lunatic multiple times on a daily basis, kill him or leave her alone. They chose option three.

His actions gained him a lot of respect around the school. Either the kind you give a crazy person that might turn on you or the genuine respect of his peers. Even the teachers let him be when it came to dealing with the Ramer's.

_It's a long, long road  
From which there is no return  
While we're on the way to there  
Why not share  
And the load  
Doesn't weigh me down at all  
He ain't heavy, he's my brother_

The other person that treated her like a human being, was the guy in the locker next to hers, Dean Stoppable. The man she would later marry. He treated her with respect and a quiet dignity for the entire time that she was wearing the torture devices. He would walk her to her classes, offering to carry her books or they would meet in the lunchroom and he would get her tray for her. And not once did he make her feel like a helpless cripple.

By the end of her Junior year she was nursing a serious crush for the slightly shorter young man. Sure he wasn't a hot guy, but he had something they didn't. The only word she could find for it was dignity. He wasn't a tall boy, but he walked with his head up. He wasn't loud or boisterous, but he was the President of the Debate Team. And he was smart. Smarter then most of the rest of the kids in school.

She finally got the brace off near the end of June and spent the next 10 weeks in physical rehabilitation. When school started back up she was determined to knock the socks off of the quiet young man. And when she was starting to become a nervous wreck, once again, it was her brother that settled her down enough to talk to her crush.

_He's my brother  
He ain't heavy, he's my brother..._

It was because of her brother that 4 years later, in the summer of their Junior year in college, that she was married to her crush and became Mrs. Dean Stoppable.

Now her brother had been violently taken from her, and she didn't know what to do other than curl up in her husband's lap and sob.

**********

Ron was standing outside on the patio trying to make sense of what happened, when Barkin stepped out of the dining room carrying two cups of coffee. "I'd really kinda like to be alone for a while Mr. B!"

Barkin set one of the cups in front of Ron, saying, "It's cold out here."

"Mr. B, please!"

"Your family's inside worrying about you, all of them, including your crew and the Possibles." Barkin pointed a huge finger at the coffee. "Now drink, it's cold out here."

Ron might have been mastering the MMP and been training with both Kim and Sagara for the last few months and truth be known, Ron could have probably handled the large man like another one of the Henchman or member of the goon squads, but there was still something about the man that intimidated him. Ron took a sip and found it was just the way he liked it. He figured Kim must have made it for him. The coffeemaker was the only safe appliance in the kitchen for Kim.

"You ever wonder how I met your Uncle Roger, Stoppable?" Steve Barkin was nothing like what Ron expected him to be. Gone was the brusque, gruff, military minded school administrator he had come to know over his high school career. He was quiet, contemplative.

Ron turned and looked at the man to see him looking down into his coffee. He took a drink of the coffee and set the cup down. Then he did something that floored the young man. He pulled out a small hip flask that had an Anchor and Globe surmounted by an Eagle on it. He flipped the lid and added a generous measure to the cup. Seeing Ron's look he said, "Don't try giving _me_ the hairy eyeball. We're both adults. You're not legal to drink, but we're both adults. And this isn't High School. Now answer the question. You ever wonder how I met your Uncle?" and then he took a sip of the 'fortified' coffee.

"I never thought about it, Mr. B."

"About, ohhh, sixteen, close to seventeen years ago now, there was this _operation_, a mission if you will, that **never** happened." He was looking to the cup, gently swirling the contents.

"It was the mid-nineties, and we had this pantywaist that was NCA. Man couldn't figure out whether to shit or get off the pot. Anyway, there was this little country in Central America that shall remain unnamed, that either couldn't or _wouldn't_ do anything to interdict the flow of the end product of the local cocoa crop into the U.S. So it was decided that if they weren't going to handle the problem, then maybe someone else should."

"Well a couple of squads of Force Recon Marines were very quietly inserted into this Central American country under the Command of a newly promoted Captain. Their mission was to _disassemble_ some of the facilities processing the crop from its' raw form into something more… transportable, let's say." Barkin took another drink of the coffee.

"Within a few weeks five of these facilities ceased operations. Causing a severe decrease in the supply side of the equation. The people that received the bulk of the revenue from those facilities and their product were not amused to say the least."

Barkin started gripping the cup so hard Ron swore he could hear it creaking, as he growled, "You know, it's amazing, just how much information you can find, if you've got enough money."

Barkin visibly regained control and continued, "Anyway, _somehow_ the word got out that there were a bunch of Jarheads running around in the boonies, disrupting their livelihood. The local authorities mentioned something to that effect to the American Consul. Who relayed the information to NCA."

"Naturally, NCA was _'shocked and disavowed any knowledge of some supposed operation taking place in the Central American Highlands.'_ Orders were immediately flashed to this Amphibious Assault Ship that was standing to about fifty miles to the south of this little country. 'Cease all operations, report to Pearl, forthwith.' The only saving grace, was the fact that the orders came in as a very low priority. No 'Flash', no 'Urgent', just normal traffic."

"Now the radio operator on board this ship had a buddy in Force Recon, who just happened to be running around the boonies. He looked at this message for about three seconds and asked permission to 'step up deck', that's polite naval slang for hitting the can. He hustled down the Flight Country, found another one of his buddies, a crewman on an H3. Let him know that he could only sit on the message until the ship's commander came on duty in about four hours."

"Since this crewman had already prepped the bird for a re-supply mission that was to take off later that night in support of those 'Recon Pukes', all he had to do was rustle up the crew and let 'em know what was going on. The pilot requested an early take-off and tried to get clearance. Since the mission was already scheduled, ATC thought nothing about an early take-off."

"About thirty minutes into the flight, they went feet dry. At about thirty-_five_ minutes, the radio started squawking 'Husky Flight, Husky Flight, RTB, RTB, do you copy? Husky Flight, RTB immediately, do you copy?' The pilot just looked at the radio and said to the copilot, 'I'm just making sure, but except for contacting those Marines, we're supposed to maintain radio silence until after we're feet wet, right?' The copilot said with a perfectly straight face, 'That's what I heard in the briefing, Sir.' And so they continued on their merry way."

"About 5 minutes from the LZ they contacted the ground-pounders and found out they had a problem. A hot LZ. The _Federalies _had been able to initiate hostile contact and the Recon Troops tried to wave off the incoming re-supply flight. The pilot informed them that the flight had changed from re-supply to extraction and there would be no other attempts. The Marine Captain got the message quite clearly. Get out now or be stuck."

"Since they were leaving anyway, there was no sense in _conserving_ ammo. The Marine squads started pouring covering fire to protect the incoming bird. The H3 came in so hard they crushed the tail wheel. The crewman on the chopper was acting as a door-gunner, firing his mini-gun in support of the retreating Marines while the Marines fell back in a bounding over-watch."

"Didn't take long before the only people left in the wood-line were gomers, the Captain and his First Sergeant. They had started falling back and were in the open when the Captain was hit in the leg. The First Sergeant was trying to drag him to the chopper," Barkin gave Ron a significant look. "but this officer was a rather large man. The Captain tried to get the First Sergeant to leave him and get to the bird."

"The door-gunner started screaming 'Two more, two more.' over his intercom. He grabbed one of the exhausted Marines and stuck him on the mini-gun, unplugged his intercom and jumped, unarmed, from the chopper. He ran seventy-five yards, in the open, through enemy fire, got a hold of the Captain's LBE and helped the First Sergeant drag him back to the helo."

"Just before they got to the bird, the crewman was hit in the back by an AK-47 round. It was only the flak jacket he was wearing that saved his life, but he had a bruise that lasted for weeks afterwards. He got up and grabbed the Captain's LBE again, and together with the First Sergeant pulled the wounded man the rest of the way to the chopper.

"When the gunner climbed back onboard, he jacked back in to the intercom and screamed 'All aboard. Go, go, go!', and took the mini-gun back, hammering wood-line, forcing them to keep their heads down long enough for the chopper to open the range. Other then the Captain, the rest of the men only had the basic bumps, bruises and exhaustion that come from spending about a month in the boonies. Because of the change in mission from re-supply to extraction, when they landed back on the deck, they were almost bingo fuel."

"Since the recall message had come in as normal traffic, they couldn't really do anything to the radioman, the pilot cited _weather concerns_ as the reason for the early take-off and the Marine Captain, as Commander on site, had decided that _extraction in the face of numerically superior forces was the only option to preserve his Command_."

"The paper-pushers and swivel-chair parade were upset that they had gotten caught with their hands in the cookie jars and wanted scapegoats. But they couldn't find any back on the boat. They were all in up the Puzzle-Palace. And since the _operation_ never happened, there were no medals, no recognition…no acknowledgement of what happened. Except for one thing. The Marine Captain made a vow to somehow, someway, repay the door-gunner for his life. That man didn't have to leave the safety of his aircraft and no one would have blamed him for staying there."

"Later the Marine Captain found out that he and the door-gunner came from hometowns that were in the same state. Surprisingly close to one another as a matter of fact, 'bout eighty miles. After he got out of the Marines, he finished his degree in education and took a job with a local school district eventually rising to Assistant Principal. And he **never** forgot his vow."

"A few years later, when the door-gunner's only son was killed by a drunk driver, the former Marine tried to help his Brother put his life back together. When his wife died, The Marine again tried to help his Brother."

"When he found that the man's sister had a son in the school, he tried to push, prod, force and bully the boy into the best education he could possibly get. And although he will never admit it, the Marine is very proud of his Brother's nephew. The nephew of the door-gunner that saved his life. The nephew still has a few issues, but he's turned into a fine young man. And if that young man needs anything, the former Marine owes the family of his Brother, an Honor Debt that he can never repay." Barkin downed the rest of his coffee.

"I, I don't know what to say Mr. B."

Barkin looked Ron dead in the eye, with an expression of purest misery, eyes shining. The voice of the big man was strained, "Why say anything. The mission never happened, remember? G'nite Stoppable." Steve Barkin patted Ron on the shoulder, turned and left with his normal rolling gait that for the first time Ron realized hid a slight limp. He left Ron standing there with his coffee steaming, alone in the crystal clear night.

Ron wasn't alone for long as a red haired shadow appeared, took him in her arms and held him close as he finally broke. A few minutes later she felt a blanket draped across her and the form of her emotionally destroyed lover. She looked up, and to her shock, she saw her father looking down at the two of them. He wordlessly set the control to the electric blanket he had just lain across them close to her reach. He laid his hand on Ron's head and looked at him with compassion. Silently he pointed and mouthed, 'You stay with him, understand?'

She just nodded and rocked him as her daddy walked back into the house as her mother took up a vigil from the patio door. Her parents traded off for hours, watching over the both their daughter and the young man that was their son in all but name.

**********

When he returned to his condo, Steve Barkin picked up the phone for the first in a series of calls he really didn't want to have to make. He dialed the number from memory and heard the phone ringing on the other end. A groggy voice said "What?"

"Hey Top, it's Steve."

"Aww, Fuck! Cap'n, you wouldn't be calling me this time of night just to shoot the shit! Who is it?"

"Roger. I'm calling Chief Bouchard next. I need ya start looking over the list for who can get here in about three days. Full Dress."

"Aww, fuck me running. I thought that bastard would live forever. He was harder than woodpecker lips. How'd it happen?"

"………Someone set that old truck of his to go boom."

"WHAT?!?!"

"You heard me."

"Who?!"

"Not sure yet. But whoever did it's bitten off more than they chew."

"You got that right Cap'n! None of the boy's 'ill be happy about this! You find us target, we'll handle the rest."

"Don't worry bout that, Top. Rog's nephew is gonna be on the job."

"His sister Barbara's kid? The goofy one."

"Top, you remember Phillips, right?"

"Yeah."

"Phillips was a goofball too. Did he ever let us down?"

"………No, but I swear that he could clumsy himself out of some of the worst scrapes."

"Well Phillips has nothing on Ronald Stoppable. When he gets going, that boy's Hell, On, Wheels. You've heard of Team Possible?"

"Heard of Kim Possible."

"Well, Stoppable is her teammate. He's the other half of the field team and has been for years. Not his fault the media can't be bothered to remember his name. Something else, he's been Blooded!"

"What? But he's a civilian, and what about 18, 19 years old."

"He just turned 19. And how old were you the first time?"

"Cap'n, you know I enlisted under Ray-gun, right after the Peanut Farmer lost the election. I did Grenada, Panama, Iraq in 92, that little jaunt into the Highlands in 94. But that was a different era. How the Hell could he have been Blooded as a civilian?"

"Sorry Top, but that's Need to Know. Tell ya what though, there's a couple a video files I can send ya. You can check 'em out and then you tell me if he can't handle it! I'm telling ya, this crew he's running with now is No Joke! If they decided they wanted to, they could probably get NCA! And get away."

"What?! You kidding!"

"No, I'm not. Much as I hate to say it, they're better than we were!"

"Now I know you're full of it! When we were in the groove, there was nobody better than 'ReeeCon'."

"Jimmy, I'm telling ya. I've personally seen Stoppable do some funky shit. This bunch has moves we never even thought of. That's not even counting Possible's little disappearing stealth trick, and I do mean disappear, as in vanish in front of your eyes."

"Look, Top, we can talk about this later. I need to finish calling down the Alert Roster. Roger wasn't a Marine, but he was one of us. Because he wasn't Active or KIA, the Guard Unit might try to skimp by with the minimum Honors."

"Bullshit! You handle the Squids, Sir! I'll start calling the boys in! In about 36 hours, we'll have at least two squads onsite. Probably more. They might be scratch, but they'll be there. Full Dress!"

"Thanks, Jimmy. Rog would appreciate it."

"Least I can do. He saved my ass that day too. I wasn't about leave your gimp ass behind and if he hadn't bailed out of the bird to help me drag your bleeding carcass back, we'd 'ave both been fertilizer."

The First Sergeant voice turned somber, "I gotta tell ya though, I don't envy you on this one Cap'n. I mean you know these people."

"There, but for the Grace of God, go I."

"What do ya mean Cap'n?

"You didn't really keep up with the pilots did ya?"

"All due Respect, Cap'n, they're Squids. Cast iron balls, but they're still Squids."

"Well Chief Bouchard just retired. After the Highlands, he got himself a Commission. Made Lieutenant Commander. Probably could a went full Commander or even Navy Captain if he didn't have those bean counters in the E Ring pissed at him for his 'Weather Concerns' holding him back."

"A Commission, huh? And here I had some respect for him!" Both men knew the former First Sergeant was not as serious as he sounded.

"Yeah I hear ya, Top. I'll see ya in a few days."

"You're still in the same condo, right?"

"Yep."

"Alright, we be knocking the door in, in a couple a days. I'll call ya if plans change."

"Top, plans always change. 'Every battle plan gets fucked up when the enemy arrives!'."

"'That's why he's called the enemy!' Sir! HooRah"

A few minutes later, Steven Barkin had dialed another number. This one from a carefully preserved and updated list. Another groggy sleepy voice said, "It's two o'clock in the morning. Who the Hell is this?"

"Chief, it's Steve Barkin."

"If it was anybody else calling me 'Chief', I'd probably be insulted. What can I do for ya Cap'n?"

"I hadn't been a Captain for a while, and it's about Roger Olsen, your old crewman."

"Oh Hell! When and where?"

"Happened today, here, Middleton Colorado, Services will probably be in three days, same place. Can you make it?"

"If I have to _appropriate_ a bird outta Norfolk, I'll be there, I'll have Harrison with me. I assume Full Dress."

"Yes Sir." Steve suddenly went very formal, "Commander Bouchard, at this time, I believe you will be the Senior Officer."

"OH HELL. Who's the Next Of Kin?"

"Either his Sister or his Nephew. It depends on the wishes of the deceased, but if I had to guess, it'll be his Nephew."

"Fuck! Alright. What's the detail looking like?"

"Mixed bag, Sir. Some Navy, some Marine. He might have been Navy, but he was one of us! You won't have any grief from the Jarheads, I give ya my word."

"I wouldn't expect any from 'em. Rendering Honors is something none of the Services fuck around with. You have my e-mail?"

"Yes Sir."

"Do me a favor, send me all the info. I'll see ya in about two days."

"Be good to shoot the shit with ya again, Chief."

"Yea, I just wish that funerals weren't the only times we get together."

"Me too, Sir, see ya in a couple a days."

Steve hung up the phone. He had done his duty this night and he would do it again tomorrow and the next day, and the next and the next. But for now, with his hand still on the receiver, he started quietly sobbing.

**********

From across a nation they came. From Norfolk, Virginia, from Sarasota, Florida, from the deserts of New Mexico and Yakima, Washington, from New York City and the Black Hills of South Dakota. One man, in the hills of Eastern Kentucky, packed his bag, kissed his wife and patted his son on the head and mounted his Honda 1300 Shadow for a 29 hour ride in the tail end of October to get there. Some flew while others drove, sometimes going 5 to 10 hours out of the way to pick up another one. Their ages ranged from youngest at 34 to the oldest who was pushing sixty. But they came and nothing was going to get in their way. They were coming for their Brother. They were coming because they, each and every one, knew the rest would do the same for them.

When Lt. Commander (Ret.) Jacob Bouchard landed with his former co-pilot Chief Warrant Officer 4 (Ret.) Michael Harrison, he called Steve Barkin and talked to both him and his former First Sergeant, James Griffith. So far everything was on track except for one problem.

The Rifle Squad. They had the Troops, but not the weapons. Jacob Bouchard had an idea, it was a long shot, but it was the best they had. He and Harrison drove to the closest National Guard Station and asked to see the Station Commander. After a short wait they were escorted in to the office of Colonel Dwayne Stanton.

"Mr. Bouchard, Mr. Harrison, what can Army Aviation do for you gentlemen today?"

Bouchard and Harrison looked at each other and shrugged. Jacob said, "Colonel, we'd like know if we could borrow seven M-16A1's for the day after tomorrow."

Colonel Stanton's eyebrows rose towards his hairline, "I think you gentlemen need to start talking fast, before I call up the Officer of the Day and have him get the MP's in here."

"We're doing Final Honors. The deceased has been out of the Navy for close to fifteen years and since we're so far from any Navy Base, I figure that they'll send a couple of guys to fold the Flag and have a boom box playing Taps. Like Hell!"

"The problem is we've got everything, Bearer and Folding Detail, Rifle Squad, we've even got one of those fake electronic bugles and a bugler. What we don't have is the weapons for the Rifle Squad."

As Jacob laid it out, Stanton understood clearly the problem. "You know I can't possibly let you sign out seven assault weapons from my armory, don't you?"

"I knew it was a slim to none chance, but I had to try. I flew H-3's when I was Active and Roger was my crewman and SAR swimmer once upon a time."

"He was SAR?"

"Yeah, we flew together for about two years on the New Orleans in the mid-nineties." Bouchard started to stand followed by Harrison, "Look, I'm sorry we wasted your time."

"Now wait a minute. I said there's no way I could let you sign the weapons out. I didn't say we couldn't solve the problem. How bout we do this. I can assign you a Rifle Squad. They've even been training for the detail regularly, so they'll do it better anyway." He held up a hand to forestall the bristling he saw. "You guys have been out, what, two to fifteen years? Now I understand what it would mean for your guys to be the ones pulling the triggers, but that's not gonna happen. So to make it up to your boys, how bout you let me add a little extra to the Detail? Come with me."

Stanton led them to a hanger where they saw a strange sight. Sitting amongst a collection of Army CH-47 Chinooks was a Sikorsky H-3 in Navy livery. Stanton explained "She was being transferred to the bone yard in Arizona. And you know how whacked the rules for the bone yard are. The aircraft has to be ready to fly or completely irreparable before they'll take it, right? Well she was on her way and had a hydraulic failure."

"She barely made it here before they failed. Since she couldn't be flown with faulty hydraulics, she had to be repaired. It took like nineteen weeks to get the regulator valves and get an H-3 A&P mechanic back out here to get her airworthy again."

She was weathered and battered. The sponsons for the front landing gear were dented and had paint flaking in places. But the engine cowlings were open and they could see that the turbines had the just rebuilt look. There were only traces of hydraulic leakage inside the cabin. Just enough to know the seals had been properly broken in.

She was huge and ungainly and old. But even with the dings and dents and chipped paint and all the other superficial damages, she looked like all she needed was fuel, a crew and a minigun to take off on a Combat Search and Rescue Mission to the rainforests of Central America or jungles of South East Asia or the forests of Eastern Europe. And to the two former pilots, she was beautiful.

"Before she gets certified for transport, she needs a check ride. And you're talking to the only Active, certified H-3 pilot between here and the Pacific Coast." Stanton looked at the other two pilots with a knowing grin "Ya know, I think it's only fair that since this is actually a Navy bird, for the _check ride_ there should be a Navy presence on board!"

Bouchard looked sadly at Stanton, "You're a bastard, I'm the Detail Commander."

"Sorry! Chief Harrison, what about you?"

Harrison looked at his friend and asked, "Commander?"

Bouchard grinned and said, "I think don't Rog would mind. Matter of fact, he'd probably come back and haunt you if ya passed up the chance to go up again."

**********

Two days later, there was a group of mixed Forces standing in Formation at the Zebulon Pike National Cemetery waiting for the funerary party. Standing about 75 meters away from the plot was a Squad of U.S. Army Soldiers under arms, in Class A's led by a Staff Sergeant, standing at Parade Rest.

By the road, was a mixed group of four Navy Sailors in Service Dress "Cracker Jacks" with the "Dixie Cup" hats slightly flared to the sides and four Marines in Class A Greens, again at Parade Rest. Standing close behind the seating area was close to 15 more Marines and Sailors dressed the same. Some had hair that was slightly longer than strictly regulation and, for a lot of the men, the uniforms didn't fit quite as well as they did a few years ago, but they were still worn with the same pride.

The hearse approached followed by a procession of cars and limos. Directly behind the hearse was a car that seemed completely out of place. A Nineteen Sixty-four Ford Galaxie 500 driven by a blond young man accompanied by a redheaded young woman and a Japanese couple.

Behind the Galaxie was a limo carrying a older tall blond woman and a shorter man of about the same age. They were accompanied by a couple who were about the same age, a auburn headed woman and tall distinguished man with salt & pepper hair.

The older Possibles helped her husband support Barbara while Kim had her arm hooked through Ron's arm. They were flanked by a stern Kaname to one side and a very grim Sousuke on the other.

A Sailor in 'Cracker Jacks' having been briefed on who was who, escorted the Next of Kin to the front row and indicated that Ron take the center seat. He sat Kim to his right and his mother to the left, with her husband to her left. The Possible's were seated to Kim's right.

When everyone was seated, the Bearer detail opened the hearse and carefully pulled the casket from the back. The men chosen for Bearer Duty were not coincidentally the among youngest and in the best shape. The man at the head of the casket on the left side was a large Marine with Captains bar. They held the casket at waist level as they moved to the open plot and gently set the casket on the straps of the lowering device. Lieutenant Commander (Ret.) Jacob Bouchard stood attention at the head of the casket, waiting to carry out his final duty to the Fallen.

A thumping sound approached the assembly from behind. A few eyes turned to see a huge helicopter in Navy markings, as soon as it passed the foot of the Flag draped casket, it banked into a high speed/high powered orbit about 1000 meters away. All anyone could see was the top of the rotor as it thumpthumpthumpthumped it's way around the gathering.

When they completed the orbit, she settled into a hover, unmasking the Crewman/Door Gunners position with a secured minigun. No one there. They hovered there as the Rifle Squad fired over the casket. They hovered as the Flag was Folded and the Bugler played Taps.

As Steve Barkin passed the Flag to the Detail Commander, Colonel Stanton called for Max Military power from the 2 General Electric T58-GE-10 turboshafts and Chief Harrison reached up and shoved the throttles to the firewall. Stanton sharply pivoted the huge helicopter 90 degrees to the right. When Bouchard turned and approached Ron, Stanton pushed the stick forward and pulled up hard on the collective. The nose of the helicopter dropped and they accelerated, hard, towards the casket.

They passed over the top of the casket, at an altitude of less than a hundred feet, from the foot to the head just as Lieutenant Commander (Ret.) Bouchard stepped in front of Ron and took a knee. Stanton pulled up into a full power climb, rotor thumping hard from the high attack angle of the blades. The old war bird was battered and chipped, dinged and dented, but she was unbowed and unbeaten as she clawed for altitude.

Bouchard looked Ron in the eye and said "On behalf of the President of the United States and the Chief of Naval Operations, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's service to this Country and a grateful Navy."

After a moment, you could still hear the fading sound of her rotor as she was swallowed by the scattered thick cumulus clouds dotting the sky. They continued the climb until they reached the H-3's max service ceiling of 14,700 feet and set a course back to the National Guard Airbase.

It wasn't until the ceremony was over and people started walking back to the cars that Sagara noticed a silver haired, young man in a long overcoat or duster flanked by two very tall figures. Even standing as he was on a slight hill about a hundred meters away, Sousuke could imagine the smirk Leonard normally wore on his aristocratic features.

Seeing him standing there like he thought he was one of the Lords of Creation, Sousuke _knew_ the bastard had something to do with what had brought them out here on this blustery November day and the only thought that went through the mind of the Soldier was '_Kuso!_' (roughly "Oh Shit!")

**********

Authors Note: For those of you that don't speak militarese, here's a short glossary of the terms used.

NCA--National Command Authority/The President

H-3-- Sikorsky H-3 Helicopter. One of the largest navel choppers in the world, used mainly

for Search and Rescue and Resupply missions.

ATC--Air Traffic Control

RTB--Return to Base

Feet Dry/Feet Wet-- Transition between flight over ground/over water.

LZ--Landing Zone

Hot LZ--A Landing Zone that is under fire.

LBE--Load Bearing Equipment. The gear Soldiers wear to carry ammo/magazines, grenades, water.

Bingo Fuel--Empty fuel tanks

Puzzle-Palace--Term for higher command headquarters. In this instance, The Pentagon. A place where everyone sits around in their crystal palaces puzzled as to what to do or what the Freaks really happening.

SAR--Search and Rescue.


	29. Dreams

I want a aplogize for the long delay in posting this Chap. My old laptop, after six years and two combat tours finally gave up the ghost. May it Rest in Piece. It took me a while to afford a new puter and scavange the info from the old HDD, but now the story is back on track.

Thanks again to my longtime Betas Sentinel and CajunBear.

Also over the next few weeks, I am going to go back through the story and fix any errors and plot holes. Especally the ones from where FFnet messed up the formatting.

Chapter 29

_**Dreams**_

Sousuke was worried. More so about the presence of the two towering figures standing with the bastard than Leonard himself. Barring a very lucky shot to the visual sensors or some other critical area, not even the Rifle Squad had the fire power to stop them if Leonard gave the command to attack. The 5.56 mm rounds of the M16A2's just didn't have the stopping power needed to penetrate the built in armor. That's if they even had live ammunition. The magazines were probably loaded with the blanks for the service.

He very quietly, spoke to Kaname, _"Kaname-chan? jū oka no toki ni!" (_"Kaname-chan, 10 o'clock, on the hill.")

She looked in the direction and it took ever bit of her self control not to scream. Not in fear, but in rage! "_Kore wa kuso yar__ō__! Sousuke-kun?_" ("That fucking bastard! Sousuke-kun?")

"_Aruku to, kare wa soko ni sa re te i nai furi te kudasai."_ ("Keep walking, pretend he isn't there.")

"_Tsugini nani wo shi tara ii no desu ka?" _("Then what do we do?")

"_Umaku ike ba , dare mo tekitai teki na kōdō wo kaishi suru mae ni ofuni naru!" (_"Hopefully get everyone clear before hostile action starts!")

By now Kim and Ron had started picking up something was wrong. Kim from the hushed and stressed tones and Ron from the bit of Japanese he had picked up.

"Uhh, guys, what's wrong?"

"Possible-san, Stoppable-san, do not react. On the hill. That's Leonard Testarossa."

Ron's eyes fluttered across the hillcrest like he was just looking around, noting the figure standing there. Kim laid her head on Ron's shoulder with her head slightly down but she looked upwards through her bangs.

They had both been briefed on the danger the tall young man represented and this was their first look at him. Kaname had told them how Leonard had, almost casually, ordered one of the machines to choke life out of the assassin Yu Lan, who had been sent to kill Kaname on the rooftops in Tokyo. He also tried on more then on occasion to kill Sousuke.

He was standing on the other side of the road where the cars were parked. And even from 75 meters, he had the look of an old world prince. They could see the haughty stance, the arrogant tilt of his head. You could just see that he thought he was better then anyone else by the way he stood there. For the first time, Kim wanted to unleash a selection of various styles of kung-fu on someone she hadn't met. Ron was a little more restrained because he had dealt with people like him before, on Bonnie's Food Chain. But even then, he knew there was something wrong with the guy.

As they continued walking to the car, Ron asked a surprising question, "How bad do we want him in jail?"

Sousuke said, "Mithral has a shoot-on-sight order out for him," That caused Kim to shiver and Ron to look over at Sagara for a second. "but I fear that if we act rashly, the Arastols will start to slaughter the people around us."

"Ok, so what do we do?"

Sousuke's mind was going through scenarios at a mile a minute. He knew there were times that you had to allow things to play out, even at the cost of 'collateral damage', but this one would have too high a price for too little return. They had to get the civilians and veterans clear before they could take action. He was still thinking when Ron asked a question.

"How tough are those machines? Think I could drop one with the Lotus Blade?"

Sousuke blinked. He hadn't thought of that. "The problem of innocent civilians still stands."

They continued to walk toward the car when Kim said. "How bout we stay behind as they leave. Ron could kinda say that he wants to wait for a while."

It was tempting, but the risk to innocents was too high. "No, if we fail or he moves before they are clear….No. It Kaname and myself he's after."

About that time, someone else was working on taking care of the silver-haired young man.

**********

Leonard stood looking down at the gathering, highly anticipating the coming meeting. He knew that sooner or later he would goad that fool Sagara into a display that would force Kaname Chidori to see him for the low-browed cretin he really was. And he would be there to gather her up like a child lost in the wilderness. Meeting the fascinating Ronald Stoppable would be a large bonus as well.

From seemingly nowhere a distortion appeared in the air about 2 meters in front of him. It resolved itself into a young African-American boy of about 13 or 14 years old. As the image stabilized, the Arastols started to intercept the forming figure, but Leonard raised his hands in a gesture forestalling the mechas. Wade was dressed in his now normal body armor and weapons with an additional holster on his left hip holding what looked like a plastic toy ray gun. He also had a combo ear piece/mic commo rig in his left ear.

Leonard was fascinated by the methodology used to create the illusion; it seemed to be a perfect holographic representation. But what he failed to notice was the depression Wade's feet were making in the short grass. Wade looked from Leonard to the two towering mini Arm Slaves back to the smug young man. Wade said, "Not bad! Do you use a micro Palladium reactor to power them?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. You seem to be quite intelligent. Would you happen to be Dr. Wade Load?" This might turn out to be a better visit then he thought. Here was one of the young Whispered he wanted to examine. If he could convince the teen to join him, it would be an even greater coup.

"That's me. How were you able to shield the AI from the static discharge the reactor intermittently generates?"

"It took a bit of counter intuitive engineering. Instead of trying to shield the computers, I was able to insulate the reactor itself so the electronics are protected. What can I do for you today, Doctor?"

"Uh, look, I spotted you lurking around up here on the overheads." Wade tossed a thumb back down the hill indicating the group approaching the cars and limos, "You see, those are my friends, and uh, I'm not gonna let you bother them. So you can take your friends here and leave or we're gonna have problems."

Leonard got an amused smirk on his face and asked, "And just what can you do as a hologram?"

Wade held up a finger and said "Well first, I have a hormonal mercenary with itchy trigger fingers hovering cloaked overhead with every weapon aimed at this spot." He added a finger, "And second, I'm not a hologram!"

For one of the few times in his life, Leonard was surprised. Just as he started to signal the Arastols to take the teen, Wade, using his left hand, smoothly drew the 'ray gun' and fired it at the Arastol to his left. It was instantly engulfed in a halo of lightning. It stood for a second convulsing as tendrils of electricity danced over its' surface, then it dropped to the ground.

As the machine was hit, Wade drew the Glock with his right hand and strafed toward the downed mecha putting Leonard between him and the other Arastol, aiming the Glock at the now stunned Leonard from a range of less than 1/2 a meter. Much too close for his reactive armor cloak to engage to stop the incoming rounds. The other machine tried to intercept Wade, but Leonard saw that the teen could kill him long before the AS could get into position to protect and signaled the machine to stand down.

"I told you that I'm not gonna let you bother my friends. Now, you can either leave taking the other one with you and or I blow a hole in you big enough to see through and my friend upstairs fries that machine before you hit the ground!"

Out of the corner of his right eye, slightly down the hill, out of sight from the funerary party, Leonard saw another shimmer that revealed a hovering vehicle with some sort of cannon or ray aimed not at him, but at the AS behind him. In the cockpit was a woman with ebony hair and green highlights. Leonard looked into the dark eyes of the teen and saw nothing but an iron hard resolve to do exactly what he said. The muzzle of the 10mm Glock pointing at the center of his head looked like an open grave. His!

"I've heard all about you 'Mr. Silver'. I read every file that every intelligence agency on the planet has on you. Both Sagara and Kaname want your head on a pike. I even talked to your sister. She's pretty pissed at you too. You're lucky you're talking to me instead of them. I'll give you the chance to leave. But nobody messes with my friends!" The handgun never wavered and Wade didn't blink.

Outside Leonard struggled to maintain his composure. Inside, he was seething. He hadn't been caught this far off guard since he was a child. And the worst part was that it was a near child that caught him out like this. His thoughts raced as he tried to find a way to change the situation to one more in his favor.

Wade could see that Leonard was about to try something and he remembered a line from a movie the Team had watched. It was a John Wayne movie called 'Big Jake'. The memory was vivid because they watched it at Roger's recommendation.

He holstered the 'ray gun', supported the right hand holding the Glock with his left and quietly said, "You're gonna leave. Now! 'Because if anything else happens, your fault, my fault, nobodies fault, I'm gonna blow your head clean off!' That machine might get me, but before that, I'm gonna blow your head _Clean_ _Off_! Your choice!"

With one of his Arastols down and the other covered, there was nothing he could do. For now! Maintaining his haughty, aristocratic expression, he said, "Very well, Dr. Load. Since I seem to have been outmaneuvered, I'll retire. The field is yours." He started to signal the surviving Arastol to gather the fallen one except Wade stopped him.

Still aiming the automatic at him, Wade said, "Nope, it stays behind." Leonard definitely didn't like that because the only examples of the Arastols anyone had were ones that had self-destructed, leaving behind pieces with the reactor and AI completely scrapped. But the hand-cannon Wade was aiming at him didn't offer him any other avenues but the one laid out for him. Full retreat!

As Leonard turned, Wade said, "A couple more things."

Leonard turned his head to look at the teen and Wade continued, "First, my friend there is gonna follow you for a while just to make sure you're really leaving." When he said that, Shego re-cloaked the hover-jet. "Next, stay away from Sagara and Kaname, because I'll be watching! Also, I can't prove it yet, but if you had anything to do with what happened to Roger Olsen, you better hope you can find a really deep hole and pull it closed behind you, because Ron's gonna be asking questions real soon. And when he gets the answers, he liable to do things to whoever did it that will turn a demons stomach."

Leonard smirked and turned, walking away down the backside of the hill flanked by the remaining Arastol.

When Leonard walked down the hill, Wade watched him for a moment, then knelt beside the crippled Arastol and attached something to it, causing it to vanish from sight. Then he adjusted a control on his armor and disappeared too.

**********

Back down the hill, everything happened so fast that a few people besides the Team knew anything was going on up on the hilltop. Sousuke and Kaname stood fast waiting to see what was happening and neither Kim nor Ron moved at first, because just like when they had confronted Team Impossible, they both thought it was one of Wade signature holograms. But when he fired on the first Arastol they all froze for fear of throwing off Wade's plan. They had no idea what he had in mind so they just mentally prepared to charge the spot if Wade needed help, but it all happened so fast, that it was over before they could move in his direction. Then Wade vanished before they could even call out.

Looking at one another, they said their goodbyes to the assembled relatives and guests, jumped into the Galaxie heading back to the garage.

**********

They arrived back at the garage to find Shego's hover-jet parked inside and the engines making the popping-hissing sound of metal that was cooling. There was the sound of laughter coming from the stairs leading to the lab. When they went to investigate, they found it was Shego, laughing fit to be tied. In the lab, Wade, Shunya and Ayame were watching her with a variety of expressions ranging from bemused and puzzled to embarrassed. When she calmed down enough to talk, all of them were slack jawed as Shego told them what happened and what was said.

"So I was sitting in the lab watching Drew go through that data Geek-boy here sent when he called us. He asked me if Drew had finished installing the cloak he'd sent over. When I told him it was ready, your boy asked if I felt up to a little job covering your butt's."

She looked at Ron as she continued, "Since Drew's so serious about helping you out Sporto, I asked him where to pick him up. When I did, he stuck one of those gadgets of his into the console on the hover-jet and off we went. When we got there he had us do a quick and dirty recon. He told me to deploy the tractor beam and keep it ready to grab one of the robots. I dropped him off just down the hill from the guy under cloak and Nerdlinger had a little cloak of his own. Since he stuck that gadget in the hover-jet I could see him on the console when he fired it up and, as calmly as you please, walked up to the pretty boy."

She was still laughing as she said, "Nerdlinger, you got guts! And let me tell you something else! That was the funniest thing I've seen in I don't know how long!" She looked at the others standing in the lab, "You all should have seen that pretty boy. The look on his face when his robot dropped was priceless! And when your boy here told him," she started to imitate the grim tone Wade used, " 'your fault, my fault, nobodies fault, I'm gonna blow your head clean off!' I thought the guy was gonna crap his pants! HAHAHA!" Shego looked back at the now bashful, self-conscious Wade, she said, "Remind me to stay on your good side, kid! HAHAHA!"

Sousuke asked, "Load-sensei, you were developing a weapon specifically for the Arastols?"

A perturbed Wade answered, "Of course I was working on a weapon to stop them. That's like asking Willie Wonka if he has a new candy recipe!" Shego nearly fell out of the chair at that one. Even the normally stern Shunya had a wry grin. Until he noticed the look Ayame had in her eyes. Hero worship with a vengeance!

Wade continued his explanation, "Every electrical device in existence can be overloaded. It's just a question of how to do it." He looked at Kim and asked, "Do you remember how we stopped the Lil' Diablo's?"

She was puzzled at first, "Yea?!" Then realization set in, "Oh Yeah!"

"Well I just streamlined the gun and gave the EMP dart it contained a higher speed. That made it a lot harder to intercept." He set the 'Ray Gun' in front of them. "If you would have had this one, Eric would have never been able to catch it. And with nearly one and a half gigawatts of power in direct contact with the outer casing, I figured it would be more than enough to overload the machine and trip its breakers."

He looked at the assembled Team stopping at Sousuke, "Give me a few weeks and I can probably have the EMP gun able to fire more than one dart at a time and we'll make it a part of your normal loadout. That way if Testarossa tries to ambush you, you'll be able to stop them without having to use high explosives."

Even as bad as Ron was feeling about Roger, he was still Ron. He chuckled and said, "Wade, I've said it before but, 'You are the MAN!'"

A few minutes later one of Wade terminals started beeping an alert tone. Wade hit a few keys, said "Excuse me." and headed upstairs. Everyone followed. Wade had opened one of the overhead doors, admitting an apparently empty flatbed truck. Until Wade tapped a control on his Kimmunicator, revealing the fallen Arastol. Sousuke was stunned. In 2 years of trying, Mithral hadn't been able to acquire a complete machine. And here Wade had done it the first time he tried.

"Load-sensei?!" Wade had a good idea about what was on Sousuke's mind.

"I got G.J. do a covert pickup for me and had them bring it here. I want to study the reactor system. I might be able to convert it for use in the Bonta-kuns. If I can, I might be able to increase the power output of the mini Lambda Driver." Wade could tell Sagara wanted to say something else. He grinned and said, "You wanna call your friends in Mithral? Let 'em know what we got here? I'll be glad to make it a joint research project as long as they pick up the tab."

"I'll make the call immediately!"

**********

Last week, it was the smoke from the fire that drew the attention of a Forestry Service Fire Tower. Once the fire was out, it was obvious by the hole in the bed of the truck, the crater underneath and the spread of debris, that something besides an accidental fire had occurred. All the debris as well as samples of the air, ground and plant life was brought to the forensics lab.

After they conclusively ruled out an accident, the homicide investigation started. And when the identity of the driver was confirmed and his relation to someone that had already had a bomb go off in their home, the FBI, BATF, U.S. Justice Department, Office of Homeland Security and G.J. descended on the crime lab like the Horseman of the Apocalypse. For the second time in two weeks, someone had bombed a United States citizen, this time costing an American life.

Once word reached the President, he went into a towering fury. He ordered a conference call with the heads of all involved agencies and once again ordered G.J. to be the lead for the investigation. There would be no interdepartmental wrangling or showboating. When it came to finding out who committed this crime, everyone reported to Betty Director. Period! And she got any equipment or personnel she needed.

**********

Once the forensics people had gathered every piece of debris, every soil, air and flora sample, every scrap of evidence they could find, Betty turned loose a team of mixed service personnel. Including someone that had a more than personal interest in the investigation. Dr Wade Load!

He was scanning the debris with every sensor and piece of equipment at his disposal. The onsite technicians had even gathered samples of the asphalt road in their zeal to find the evidence needed to find out who had caused the explosion. He had tracked the trucks last hours by the GPS in the cell phone the victim carried.

Using the data from the cell he had tracked the vehicle started acting erratically. From there he accessed the closest traffic cameras to follow what happened. He saw the beat up Ford Ranger stop at a traffic light when a large dark colored sport/luxury car stopped in front of it and a white van pull up beside it.

**********

"_**Dreams" by Van Halen**_

Start

www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=sZLKtjATZt0

He had just stopped to grab a shake and Roger was bouncing his head in time with the music as he headed home. He set the shake in the cup holder on the floorboard and cranked the music higher. He was carrying a load of several different types of steel in 12 foot lengths in the back of the truck. Mostly angle iron and small diameter tubing.

Since the Galaxie was now in Ron's hands, he had room to start working on a project he had been thinking about for a few years. He wanted to go on a 'Road Trip'. No real destination, just traveling where ever the road went. But he didn't want to take the trip in the truck.

He had an old 1100 Honda Goldwing behind the garage. He was going to use the materials in the bed of the truck to build a hitch for the bike and a small collapsible trailer that would have a rain cover with a hammock and bedding for when he stopped. Wherever he got tired, he'd pull over and there was camp.

As he drove through outskirts of town though, something was twigging the hair on the back of his neck. When the light turned red in front of him, he saw a large dark blue car pass him and turn to block the front of his truck while a white panel van stopped beside him. The side door slid open and two men carrying MP10's jumped out.

"Step owt of zhe vehicle!"

_World turns black and white  
Pictures in an empty room  
Your love starts fallin down  
Better change your tune  
Yea, ya reach for the golden ring  
Reach for the sky  
Baby just spread your wings_

Roger only had one thought, 'Like Hell!' Instead of trying to power through and escape, he did the unexpected and grabbed reverse.

Now it needs to be said that the seemingly beat up and underpowered small truck was anything but. While the body had damage literally from the front grill to the rear bumper, under the hood was a different story. Roger used it as a work truck so he didn't bother with the body, but the engine, drive train and mechanicals were excellent. About twelve years ago Roger installed a 5th wheel in the middle of the bed along with a piece of 1/2 inch plate steel against the front wall of the truck bed. The plate was a comfort to his wife who had worried about something sliding forward and driving through the cab.

_We'll get higher and higher straight up we'll climb  
We'll get higher and higher leave it all behind  
_

The only problem was that with the additional weight and the possibility of a fifth wheel trailer, the original little 4 cylinder engine just didn't have the torque or horsepower. So Roger had replaced it with a 289 V8 and a four bbl Holley. Hooked to the five speed transmission and Dynatrack rearend, the Ranger would now pull just about anything he had ever put behind it.

_Run, run, run, away  
Like a train runnin off the track  
Got the truth being left behind  
Fall between the cracks  
Standing on broken dreams  
Never losing sight  
Ah, but just spread your wings  
_

So when he grabbed reverse, floored the gas and feathered the clutch, the truck launched itself to rear with more than a minimum of over-rotation in the rear wheels. To put as much protection between himself and the gunman, he slung the front of the truck to the left as soon as he cleared the back of the van. Shifting to first, he started to leave a set of black marks that investigators would later measure at 54 feet. White smoke partly hid the truck as Roger tried to leave the van behind.

_  
_Roger shifted through the gears enough to build speed, but he held the rpm's up to maintain horsepower. Since these guys seemed to be of the 'guns first, questions later' type, Roger had no qualms about using the truck as a weapon.

_We'll get higher and higher straight up we'll climb  
We'll get higher and higher leave it all behind  
_

He had set his cell in a holder and kept trying to get it to call for help. But just as he'd reach for it, he would be forced to maneuver to escape. He finally got a hold of the cell when the car was close to passing him. He dropped the cell and grabbed the shake, tossing it out the window at just above the hood level of the car. It landed at the base of the windshield, spewing the thick chocolate shake to the roofline, blocking the drivers vision.

_So baby dry your eyes, save all the tears you've cried  
Ohh that's what dreams are made of  
Cause we belong in a world that must be strong  
Ohh, that's what dreams are made o__f_

As he reached for the phone again and tried to dial, Roger saw a chance, braked and tried to hook a turn. When the van tagged the rear quarter panel the impact tossed the phone out of his hand and onto the passenger floorboard. "All right, by God, that's enough!"

The car was back now, wipers furiously working to remove the shake from the windshield. He led both out of town trying to outrun them. Evidently they were talking to each other because the van slid to the side enough to allow the car to pass it. The car kept trying to pass, but Roger maneuvered the Ranger to prevent it.

_[Guitar Solo]_

When he realized these guys just weren't giving up, he said, "Ya wanna play it easy, we'll play easy. Ya wanna play it hard, let's play it hard!"

Roger kept slewing side to side, keeping both the car and van behind him, but the road was wide enough for three vehicles. The van tried to come along his left side and the car on his right.

Roger timed his move for when the van was directly behind him, since it had most of the guys with guns. The twelve foot long steel in the bed was sticking out at least 3 feet past the tailgate. So when Roger hammered the brakes, the 1/2 inch plate protected the cab, but caused the angle iron and tubing to buckle between it and the van. Enough of the steel was driven through the vans grill and radiator forcing the van to fall out of the chase.

Good news; the van was out of action. The bad news; the maneuver allowed the car to get along side of and pass him. Roger floored the gas and pulled away from the van leaving pieces of steel clattering to the ground in front of now disabled van. The car tried to stay in front and slow him down, but since Roger gave less then a rats ass about the condition of the truck, he lined up on the rear bumper and crashed into the car.

_Yeah, We'll get higher and higher straight up we'll climb  
__Higher and higher leave it all behind  
Ohh, We'll get higher and higher who knows what we'll find _

He kept his foot on the gas as he pushed the car faster and faster. They gave up trying to slow him down and accelerated a bit to keep him from making them lose control. When they passed another intersection, Roger drifted through a turn. The car scrubbed enough speed to barely make the turn and slid in behind him again.

Roger knew all he had to do was stay ahead until they passed some kind of law enforcement. The problem was he was being forced further and further out of town. He had an idea that if he could get onto unimproved roads, his all terrain tires and higher wheelbase would pass the advantage to him, forcing the car to drop back.

_So baby dry your eyes, save all the tears you've cried  
Ohh that's what dreams are made of  
Oh baby, we belong in a world that must be strong  
Ohh that's what dreams are made of  
_

He kept glancing down to see if he could grab the phone before he passed out of cell coverage, but it had slid under the seat. 'Damn!' He finally saw an old fire road that he knew led into the surrounding forest. Making the turn so hard the truck nearly rolled on him, but he rode the clutch to keep the traction. Once on the dirt and gravel track, instantly the car started losing ground. He knew he was leaving a huge dust cloud that they could follow, but the dust would force them to slow down too. He even forced drifts to throw more dust into the air.

_[Guitar Solo II]  
_

A mile or so through the forest, the fire road intersected with another two lane blacktop. Roger skidded right and tried to open the distance. Once he was out of sight of the fire road, he got tricky. He found a bunch of scrub growing close to the road and backed the Ranger in behind it.

_And in the end on dreams we will depend  
Cause that's what love is made of  
_

A moment later, the car came roaring past. Roger watched as it rounded the curve. Once it was out of sight, he pulled back on the road heading back the way he came. He drove for a couple of miles to make sure that he'd lost whoever they were and pulled over to find his phone.

_  
_As he reached under the seat, he never saw the shadow pass overhead, just before the Ranger erupted.

**********

The cell phone was found surprisingly intact inside an old steel toed boot found under the seat. How it wound up there was anybodies guess, but it provided the location of an intersection that had traffic cameras. That led the team to an abandoned van found a few miles outside of town. That led to the gathering of DNA evidence. That led to a seething Wade standing in front of Betty Director explaining that she needed to discipline one of her Agents. Again!

Wade was pacing back and forth in front of Betty's desk in full rant mode. "Ma'am, he must have screwed up somehow! Because he was the one who made the connection, he was the first on the scene. Now we have contaminated evidence! We found traces of Agent Du's DNA on the door handle and on the glove box from where he opened it! I mean the first rule of a crime scene is gloves! Now we have to test everything to rule him out."

"Very well, Doctor Load. I will speak to Agent Du."

"Ma'am, that's not enough! I want him off the case! Every time we turn around he's there, either berating us for being 'Amateurs' or hassling us about not developing leads. If it's not that, he's stonewalling us on promising data that he say's 'Isn't important!'. You can either keep him away from me, the team and the labs or I'll pack up and run the investigation from the garage. And if I have to, I'll hack anybodies databases to find what we need to catch these guys."

Betty calmly interlocked her fingers and said, "Doctor Load, you're allowing your personal feelings to bleed over into this investigation."

"So what? You think you can find a better tech guy then ME? You're right! I do have a personal reason to want these, these, AGGGGGG, I don't know a bad enough word. But I knew a guy, a really cool one. He treated me like a kid, but that's what I was, to him. Not a super-genius or a tech guru, just a kid. But he never treated me like I was stupid."

"Now that guy's a greasy smear! They barely found enough of him to bury. One of my best friends is a basket case and the other is barely holding him together. Two more of my friends are chomping at the bit, waiting for a lead. And when they get it, I don't think there's anybody on the planet that'll be able to stop them from using maximum force to bring these clowns in!"

"I want him off the case! Because if I have to try and explain why I want a listing of all the taggants used in explosives in the last ten years and he says 'It's not important enough to waste resources on.' again, we're gonna hurt him. And a bunch of geeks can come up with some nasty ways to hurt somebody without killing them!"

Betty could see that there was no way she was going to win. It wasn't the first time William Du had let his superiority complex interfere with an investigation. This case was too important to have friction within the team. And since Du was the only one that seemed to be making waves, he was the one that had to go. "Very well, Doctor Load. I will have Agent Du reassigned immediately."

Wade's brow furrowed and he looked a lot older than his thirteen years. "Dr. Director, there's something weird about him. I can't put my finger on it, but it's almost like he doesn't want these guys found. And that doesn't make any sense. Does it?"

Betty didn't have an answer for the young genius. And that worried her.

Particularly in view of the preliminary report he had handed her. Roger Olsen wasn't killed by a bomb as they first thought. He had been killed by a missile. And judging by the amount of propellent residue found at the crime scene, it had been launched from very short range.

**********


	30. Weasels, Wheels and Wills

Chapter 30 Weasels, Wheels and Wills

He knew he had to leave. After Dr. Director called him in and told him she was reassigning him to another case, he knew it would only be a matter of a few days, perhaps a week at most that little _Schwarzie_ stumbled across enough data to finally point out his presence within the Agency. He hated the little _Sheisse_ almost as much as he hated the _Untermensch und seine Hündin_, but he had to admit that the boy knew his way through cyberspace.

He walked through the base with his normal show of arrogance, while carefully watching the personnel in the corridors for any signs of suspicion towards him. He made his way to the main computer facilities.

How the traitors that started this miscarriage of a country and political system could possibly think "All men are created equal", when anyone with eyes and a brain could look and see that it was patently a lie, was beyond him. Will Du, formerly _Wilhelm Dunkel_, could look back upon the march of history and see that it wasn't true. 50,000 years ago, in Europe, Africa and Asia, humanity had started off at the same basic technological level of fire, sticks and stones.

Yet Asia, with it vast reaches, enormous population and abundant resources, other then pockets of modernity around places like Beijing, Shanghai, and other cities (all of them using _**Western**_ influences and ideas, techniques and methods) for the most part, still lived as Third World countries caught in the very height of that flower of the Dark Ages, the Twelfth Century. The way he saw it, this was a direct result of Asia's "Middle Kingdom Syndrome".

The way the Asians thought, there was Heaven above and everyone else below, with the Chinese or Thais or whatever 'Chink' or 'Slope' was over there right in the middle. That meant that the rest of the world was below them.

But that wasn't reality. The Chinese kept trying to rewrite history whenever there was a new Dynasty. 'History started with MY reign' was something they had done time after time. It's kind of hard to pull your self into the "Modern Age" when you kept reinventing the calendar every time there was a regime change and it kept them stuck in an Agrarian society.

About the only exception to that fact was the Japanese and only because they had to rebuild nearly their entire country after the Americans had almost reduced them back to the Stone Age during _Der Zweite Weltkrieg_.

The Chinese might have stumbled across the manufacture of gunpowder, but after having it for close to 400 years, they barely went beyond simple rockets. It took Europeans, _White_ Europeans to figure out how to use it for Guns!

And Africa, was even more screwed up! Africa only had 15 percent of the world landmass, but FORTY _Donnerwetter_ percent of the world natural resources. Yet 95 percent of those _Unter-tieren_ _**still**_ lived not even in the Twelfth Century, but in the Stone Age. They couldn't get themselves together enough drag themselves into the Bronze Age without the help of whites. They were so screwed up that he thought instead of trying to disarm them and bringing a useless Peace to the continent, just keep giving them guns and ammunition until they finally killed each other off. He couldn't wait until Dementor was able to launch Operation Melanin.

It was European (and specifically _**German**_) minds that were bringing humanity, sometimes kicking and screaming, into the future. German technicians and specialists were sought the world over for their skills in building everything from skyscrapers and research laboratories to hydro electrical dams and nuclear power plants. Not Africans, not Middle Easterners, not Asians, but _Germans_!

It was German scientists, using German minds and brains that built BOTH the American and Soviet rocket programs that set men on the moon and launched a seven rail cushion bank shot that sent probes to the planets and out of the Solar System. Even the vaulted American 'Manhattan Project' had been led by German minds. They might have been _Juden,_ they were still born and educated in Germany.

It was a term paper for World History to that effect that had brought him to the attention of the professors and administration officials in college. But where those officials had looked on the paper with varying expressions of aversion, embarrassment and even horror, it also led to a meeting with a short man who showed him that finally there were others besides himself that saw the truth. A man who was biding his time for the opportunity to reestablish the system allowed a single country to take on the virtually the entire world and almost win.

And he couldn't wait until _Der Fuehrer_ returned _Das Reich_ to its rightful place,

He already had his escape planned. He had, with the approval of Der Fuehrer, set up a series of safe houses and pre-positioned equipment, money, fuel and vehicles for the day he would have to take his leave of these _idiotion_ and make his way back to _Der_ _Vaterland_

In his pocket rested a flash drive that contained a series of Trojans, logic bombs, and worm programs designed to do a systematic crash of every GJ server and computer in the Northern Hemisphere. Starting with the main base.

Once installed, all he would have to do would be to type 01091939 into any security terminal, and it would erase every password and P.I.N. in the security data base, _except_ for one that only he knew.

There was still a few items and several files and blueprints that he knew Dementor would want. Starting with the PDVI that was locked in the vault. Nothing showed on his face, but inside he was laughing. Dr. Director, at the advice of her most trusted Agent, had not returned it to those lack of security fools and locked the device away instead.

The only thing he hadn't counted on was her locking in the vault under her own password. To get the device, he would have to wait until he was ready to leave to acquire it. He planned on using the security pad inside the vault to set off the logic bombs and escape once he had PDVI in hand.

In the meantime, he could start the process by installing the viral software and gathering the data, blueprints and less secure equipment _Der Fuehrer_ wanted

**********

When Sagara and Kaname returned from school that day they found Kim, Ron, Wade Shunya and Ayame standing around something waiting in one corner of the garage. It was painted olive-drab green, over 30 feet long, 8 feet wide and over 7 feet tall. It looked like it weighed a couple of tons. It was a huge six wheeled vehicle with slab sides and a front that sloped back boat-like to the undercarriage.

Ron, who was in the garage when it was delivered, kept looking back and forth between the….whatever it was and Sousuke, who was nodding in a self satisfied manner, said, "Uh, Dude, some guys dropped this off for you a while ago.

"I'm glad it has arrived! This will ensure we will be able to attend classes no matter the climatic conditions."

Kim was staring with a raised eyebrow and a puzzled expression and Wade was tapping into his Kimmunicator trying to find a reference to…it.

Kaname had no more idea what it was then anybody else, other then one thing. She knew it was Otaku.

She took a deep breath and asked "Sousuke?"

Sousuke approached the back of the vehicle as he explained. "This is a D-U-K-W, nominally called a Duck. It is a six-wheel drive amphibious truck designed by the United States for service during and after World War II. It is capable of traveling 80 kilometer per hour on land and 10 in the water with a range of more then 350 kilometers on land and 80 in the water." (Speed » 55 and 6.5 MPH Range » 200 and 50 Miles)

He started climbing the back of the Duck talking the whole time. "With this even if the streets are flooded and the bridges are out, we should have no trouble making it to classes."

Kim stared at the Sergeant and said, "Uh, Sagara, uh, you do know the Sloth can fly, Right?"

Sousuke looked chagrined for a second, but rallied well, "Yes, but it doesn't have a pintle mount for additional weapons, such as the M2 machine gun or Mark 19 grenade launcher."

Everyone, except for maybe Ayame could tell that he had forgotten about the Sloth and was trying to cover for the lapse. She asked, "Wait a minute, you mean this thing can drive in the water?!"

Sousuke looked back down at the girl answering, "Yes, it can go directly from land into the water merely by shifting gears. When it was in development, a group of Naval and Marine personnel attended its unveiling. They were very skeptical at first. That is until a call came in that there was a ship caught on a sandbar just off the coast. The Coast Guard stated that they were unable to render assistance and, as a last resort, asked if the Duck would be able to rescue the men onboard before they were lost."

"The designers accepted the mission and launched the Duck into the thirty foot seas that halted the Coast Guards rescue efforts, successfully saving the lives of the men before their ship was broken apart. All hesitation against purchasing the vehicle by the Military halted at that point."

Kim looked at Ron and Wade. You could see the gears turning in her head as she tried to find a way to accept her teammate's Military bent. "So it can be used as a rescue vehicle?"

Sousuke jumped down from the side and said, "Certainly! After the Second World War there were numerous organizations that used it for exactly that purpose."

Kaname grabbed her boyfriend by the upper arm and dragged him towards the stairs. "Never mind, I'm hungry. Let's go eat and hope we never have to use that thing!"

***********

About an hour later, Ron's parents called. They wanted to tell Ron that they had an appointment the following morning. When he asked what it was about, Ron nearly broke down again. They had to go meet with the lawyer handling Roger's estate and hear the reading of his will.

After hanging up the phone, trembling and with a quavering voice, he told his teammates what the call was about. Hearing that Kim instantly grabbed Ron in a massive hug and led him to the couch, drawing him into her embrace, knowing this was going to hit him hard. Shunya and Kaname grabbed Sousuke, Ayame and Wade and excused themselves leaving the two alone for a while.

**********

The following morning, the couple arrived at the lawyer's office in the rumbling Galaxie to see not only Ron's parents, carrying a small duffel bag, but Steve Barkin as well. He was dressed just as somberly as they were with a haggard look on his face. Ron knew just how the man felt. Until he heard how they met he never realized how close Barkin and his uncle were. Ron, Dean and Kim shook hands with him, but Barbara surprised them by pulling him into a tight hug, thanking him for everything he had tried to do for her brother.

Dean said, "Well, let's go."

They entered and announced themselves to the cheerful receptionist who instantly went somber, offering her condolences. She showed them to the office and left them with the lawyer. He introduced himself as Emil Jacob and Dean passed him the bag. Mr. Jacob opened his safe and took out a folder. He pulled a list from the folder and started calling names like roll call in homeroom. Some of the names they didn't know. Some they did.

"Barbara Stoppable?"

She held up her hand.

"Ronald Stoppable?"

"Here, Sir."

"Dean Stoppable?"

"Mister Jacob."

"Captain Steven Barkin?"

"Sir."

"Lieutenant Commander Jacob Bouchard?"

"First Sergeant, James Griffith?"

"Master Chief Petty Officer Michael O'Donnell?"

"Chief Petty Officer David Garner?"

"Miss Kimberly Possible?"

"ME?!"

"Yes, Miss Possible, you."

Hearing that Steve Barkin was supposed to be there was no surprise, but they were shocked to find out that he had been expecting Kim to attend as well.

Sitting there listening to the man talk about everything Roger left behind was trying to say the least. Throughout the ordeal there were no real surprises. Until the end. They started off with him addressing Ron and the Stoppable's exclusively. There were items for others that were located in the house. Personal items, pictures and mementos that were to go the others that were not at the meeting at the time.

Mr. Jacob had addresses for them and asked if the family would bring the items to him for delivery. Knowing none of the Stoppables were not tracking right, Steve asked about making copies of any pictures for the family to keep. Mr. Jacob said there was nothing in the will precluding it and to go ahead.

The rest, along with most jewelry his wife left him, had been left to his sister and brother-in-law. Stocks and Bonds, the house and real estate, including a small lakeside cabin went to Ron.

"To Steven Barkin." hearing his name the big man just looked at the floor, "Steve, if I didn't get the chance to finish it, behind the garage is that old eleven hundred Goldwing. It's yours. Take that trip I didn't get a chance to. You haven't taken a vacation in years and I know you have months of vacation days built up. Emil is going to set up an account for you with 5 grand in it. Use it to fix the bike and go on a road trip. You need the time off anyway."

When Steve looked up, his face was a picture of misery. He opened his mouth to speak a few times, but couldn't get the words out. Finally he was able to say, "I guess I need to plan to put in for some vacation time." Looking at Ron he said, "You turned out pretty good spinning a wrench Stoppable. You help me fix that old bike."

Ron's eyes were shining when he answered. "Be glad too, Mr. B."

Mr. Jacob continued, "To Miss Kimberly Possible." Kim wasn't this nervous facing a room full of henchmen alone. Mr. Jacob read off the paper in front of him, "Kim, I can't tell you how mad I was at you for a while. Just ask Steve, he knows. Ron was hurting and you left him flapping in the breeze."

"But you straightened everything out in the end. So I have a few things for you. First, there's a college fund I'm going to split between you and Ron. I know you received plenty of scholarships so that's not really a problem, but it's always nice to have a 'Rainy Day' account if you need it. Second, Ron told me you've been having a problem on the firing line. So I want you to try something. Emil has it."

Mr. Jacob reached bag Dean had given him, pulled something out and set it on the table in front of her. It was a black nylon holster containing a pistol along with two loaded 15 round magazines. Steve stiffened for a second because he recognized it.

Mr. Jacob continued reading, "It's the sidearm I carried whenever I stepped into the helo. I didn't like the issue Beretta's, so I bought my own and used it instead. It's a Ruger P89 9mm automatic. I bought it back in 91 and fired thousands of rounds through it. She fires just as good today as she did when I bought her."

"It served me well and it's the same pistol I used to teach my wife to shoot. The real saving grace is I never had to fire it in anger. I hope you never have to either, but you never know. Take her to the range and give her try. If you have half the wrist strength I think you do then she should do you right."

Swallowing, she gingerly picked it up and pulled it from the holster. It was black with a few scratches and places where the holster had rubbed the finish. Without thinking, Sagara's training kicked in and she locked the slide to make sure the weapon was clear. Once she was sure, she released the slide and checked the safety. Something was wrong though, it felt off for some reason.

Being a lawyer, Mr. Jacob was an expert on reading people. He knew something was wrong. But Steve Barkin, school administrator, Marine and Combat Veteran and having more than a passing acquaintance with Kimberly Possible, knew what it was. He passed her one of the magazines and told her, "Put the clip in."

She looked at him wide eyed for a second and he said, "Just do it."

She slapped the clip home and everything about the way it felt changed. Now it was balanced in her hand. It wasn't too heavy, but there was no doubt it was there. Steve said, "Dry fire it."

She looked at him again, then turned to Ron who nodded. She pulled the hammer back, released the safety and, pointing it away, squeezed the trigger. There almost no slack and the break was crisp. The pistol might have looked worn, but it acted like it was new. It felt comfortable in her hand. Comfortable. There was a word she never thought she would apply to a firearm in her hand.

She reset the safety, ejected the clip and reholstered it. When she was finished, Mr. Jacob asked, "Do you have a carry permit, Miss Possible?" Still slightly bewildered, looking at the handgun, she shook her head. "Then State law requires you to transport the weapon locked in the trunk until you arrive home. It can be a felony offense otherwise. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir."

Ron floored everyone. "I have one, I can carry it for her."

The only jaw that didn't drop was Mr. Jacob's. Even Barkin was shocked. The only one able to talk was Dean, who asked, "Ra Ra Ronald, when did you get a carry permit?"

"Bout a month ago. I just asked Sagara what I needed and he had Dr. B set it up for me."

His fathers jaw worked a few times and he finally said, "I see."

Everyone was staring at Ron when Mr. Jacob said, "Now, there is one other thing for Ronald, but my instructions were for privacy. If you will all please wait in the lobby, he'll join you in a moment." When they were alone, Mr. Jacob reached into the bag again, pulled out a small velvet box and a pure white yarmulke that had delicate silver filigree and placed them in front of Ron and started reading again.

"If Emil is following instructions, you're alone. The last thing is the rings and my yarmulke I wore at my wedding. Your mom got all of the jewelry, except for our wedding rings. I don't know when or who, but sooner or later you'll be standing, waiting for her come down the aisle. And it would do me proud if you would use these on that day."

After first tracing the filigree on the yarmulke, Ron opened the box to see a perfect, crystal clear, one caret diamond engagement ring with a matching band that clasped the diamond when they were worn together. The husband's ring matched the wife's. Ron closed the box and sobbed. It took ten minutes for Ron to compose himself.

Kim knew something happened because he didn't say a word, just handed her the keys, took the Ruger and got in the passenger side. As she drove back to the apartment he kept feeling the pocket of his jacket and looked out the window. She thought to herself, "Thank God tomorrow is Saturday. We can just sit on the couch and veg tomorrow.

After Mr. Jacob led the family out, he just walked back into his office. The secretary knew to hold his calls for at least half an hour. Inside the office, he poured himself a double Scotch. Looking at the amber liquid, just before he slugged the whole thing he said, "God I hate wills."

**********

Saturday. A day of relaxation for most. Not Staff Sergeant Sousuke Sagara. He had finally, after months of waiting, gotten the chance to take the Arbalest to a live fire range. The Commander had gotten him permission to use the ranges at Fort Carson, Colorado. It was the closest place that they could maintain the security and it allowed a variety of terrains let Sagara and Al cut loose. Mithral had even arraigned for a squad of American M6's as an OpFor.

So earlier that day, after kissing Kaname goodbye, he backed into the ARX7's flight pack, activated the ECS system, left the hanger and climbed the side of the mountain. When he reached a ridgeline, Al used the radar and sensitive visual scanners to check for any possible aircraft, be they powered, un-powered or hang gliders.

When the scan was finished and skies clear, Sagara fired up the high bypass fanjets and jumped. Normally the Arm Slave would launch with a catapult, but GJ and Mithral were still installing it into the side of the mountain redoubt of the base. So he was forced to find an alternative launch method because you just don't take off from a standing start with a multi ton Arm Slave without some kind of boost.

He was going to enjoy today.

**********

Three days after the reassignment of Will Du, Wade felt like he was about to pull his hair out. In the week since Roger's funeral he had gathered a lot of data about what happened to the man in his last hour. He knew where he stopped to buy a shake, where his would be captors ambushed him, the route Roger had taken to escape, where Roger had counter-attacked the van with a load of steel, the turnoff where Roger had finally lost the car. He had even found out how much propellant the missile had left when it slammed into the bed of the Ranger! But he hadn't found a solid lead as to who they were or where they came from.

He was about to quit for the night when one of the other techs entered the lab mumbling about military taggants. The technician was one of the multi-service group that had been assigned to the case. Specifically from the BATFE (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives). She passed him a printout, saying, "Look at this Doctor Load. You remember the specs for the taggants we found on the truck?"

"Yea, but we couldn't find a match in the database."

"Wrong, we couldn't find a match in the _G.J. _database. I thought they looked familiar, but I couldn't remember from where. I finally got fed up and did a global search on the computers back at the Bureau in D.C. Turns out they were part of a shipment of AGMs that were hijacked about three years ago."

"That's not the weird part. The weird part is those AGM's were recovered like a week afterwards. And they were recovered by Global Justice. When GJ recovered them there were a half dozen missing from the shipment. The Agent that led the bust reported recovering nine of the ten cases hijacked."

"But when the terrorists were questioned, they didn't know anything about the missing case."

Wade took the reports and printouts and started looking over them. Something was tickling the back of his mind. He asked, "Who was the Agent in Charge?"

When she said, "Agent Will Du.", Wade nearly passed out from shock. He gathered his wits and started hammering away at his keyboard. He was pulling up files faster then the tech could follow. Now that he had a suspect, he was able to start pulling together bits of data. Like suddenly finding a missing puzzle piece, things started to drop into place. The last thing he found was that the security log showed that Du had checked into the base, but he hadn't checked out. And what was worse, he wasn't showing on any of the security systems.

He saved the data to a memory stick and bolted for the door. If the bases systems were compromised as bad as he thought they were, this wasn't something he could tell Betty over the communications links. The last few months of working out and constantly carrying around 20 plus pounds of weights paying off as he ran through the corridors trying to reach the Administration level.

Just before he stepped onto the elevator, something made him pause. And you couldn't be a super genius without listening to that little voice in the back of your head. Sometimes it led to new inventions or more efficient way of doing something, new programs and new techniques. This time it was screaming at him 'Do NOT to trust anything about the base security systems.'

Speed and the possibility of being stuck on an elevator or slower, having to climb seven flights of stairs, but no possibility of being trapped. Wade turned and headed for the stairs. By the fourth flight of stairs, he was breathing hard, but still going strong. On the sixth, the power went out.

**********

Authors Note:

First: You all have no idea how hard it is to got into the mind of a fanatic. And Will Du is definitely that. It's one reason for the long wait. The other is life itself.

Next: I'm sure some of the readers are wondering how I could even think about classifying the Founding Fathers of the United States as traitors. But the simple fact is that George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, John Hancock and all the rest of the signers of the Declaration of Independence WERE traitors. They were British citizens that took up arms against the lawful government, The Crown. We might call it "The War of Independence" or "The Revolutionary War". But the British called it "The Rebellion". And it was!

There's only one reason that they were not hung like Nathan Hale

They won!

Last: translations for those of you who have no German.

_Schwarzie_ pronounced **Sch-varzie** literally Black, colloquially take a wild guess.

_Sheisse _pronounced **Shice-a** Shit.

_Untermensch und seine Hündin. _pronounced as spelled. literally_ Subhuman and his dog. _Colloquially _Hündin _means Bitch.

_Wilhelm Dunkel_ pronounced **Vil-helm** **Dun-kel**William Darkness.

_Der Zweite Weltkrieg _pronounced **Der Zveite Velt-krieg**Literally The Second World War.

_Donnerwetter _pronounced**Donner-vetter **Colloquially God-damn

_Unter-tieren_ pronounced as spelled. Sub-Animals below Untermensch

_Der Fuehrer_ The Leader

_Das Reich_

_Der_ _Vaterland_ The Fatherland (in Russian it's _Das Rodinia_ or The Motherland. Weird people)

_Idiotion _Idiots

**ALSO a cookie to anyone that recognizes Will's code ;P**


	31. Revelations Actions and Reactions

Thanks again to my Betas, CajunBear and the Sentinel, for their rapid response to this. It makes it a lot easier to post when the proofed copy comes back in a timely manner

Chapter 31 Revelations Actions and Reactions

When the emergency lights came on, Wade knew he had problems. Every single one of the locks in the underground base used a passcard instead of keys, with a PIN pad as a secondary to the reader. The only saving grace was if they were operating according to protocols, except for the high security doors, they should automatically go into a default open setting to allow the base personnel to escape if they needed. The secure sections would operate differently. They would work one-way, letting Agents out of the area, but not back in until the power was restored.

He finished his climb to the Administration level and tried to pull the door open. It wouldn't budge. The thought of 'That's not right!' flashed through his mind. Then he noticed something else that was strange. The passcard reader for the door was still active. That meant the security systems were still up and running.

"All right!" He pulled his pass card and swiped it through the reader, entering his PIN. Red Light. Any Agent's passcard, let alone Wade's, should have worked for this door. He tried again, same result. He wasn't about to try again because the primary definition of insanity is continuing to try something repeatedly and expecting a different result. He had two choices now. He could try and hack the door and maybe every door between him and Betty's office or he could start the three hundred meter climb to the surface.

Try the easy way first. Reaching into a pouch at his back, he pulls out his Kimmunicator. This one was different then the rest of the Teams. It was his personal one and had a lot more power and a lot more functions than the rest of them. He pulled up a schematic of the base and found this particular stairwell would bring him out about a mile from the garage.

As good a shape as Sagara had whipped him into, he didn't relish the thought of climbing 300 meters of stairs then running for a mile. But he looked at the door again and thought, 'This is Du's work. So what would I do after cutting the power and locking all the doors? First thing I would do is to try to grab what I can, then escape through a secure route. That means he's either going down to the high security area or already there.'

He looked back at the card scanner. He had helped design the scanners to be hack proof. If you entered the wrong code three times in a row, the onboard flash memory would wipe itself putting the door in a lock-down status. That meant he couldn't brute force the code, and he didn't have enough data to finesse it. And with the combination using 6 to 10 digit's the possibilities were in the billions. He had no choice.

Wade came to a quick decision. He pulled the flash drive that had the evidence on it and loaded it into his Kimmunicator. He was glad that for once, someone didn't take his advice about computer systems. Maybe there was something to be said about non-integrated systems. While the voice and video links might be down, the text and email systems were on a different set of servers and should still be running.

He set the Kimmunicator to try and send the data and an idea to get the base running again to Betty's PDA as an email every thirty seconds until it was received and opened. With the text messaging for the cells working it should go through as long as the cell system didn't get overloaded.

Next, while he couldn't do a lot from here, there was something he could do. Using the Kimmunicator, he tapped into the vault and erased ALL the codes. He couldn't replace them, but he could erase then. They would have to go back and reinitialize and reinstall the codes later. But for now, it would stop anyone from getting into the secure storage.

Hopefully GJ would have the computer servers back up soon. In the meantime, he had to get to someone who could stop and capture the slime that had caused this disaster. He started up the stairs at a slower pace than he was going before. This was going to be a long climb.

**********

The coldly arrogant, yet handsome youth left the educational center and headed to his dorm. While all of the residents of the half-way house were minor criminals, he was in a class by himself. None of them had involved themselves with a supervillain. He had been charged with some of the same classes of crime they had been, from assault to conspiracy to commit assault, unlike the rest he had also faced the possibility of an espionage. Only the counsel of his former school had prevented that one.

While the authorities felt his crimes required punishment, the Judicial system didn't feel that they warranted time in a maximum security prison either. Instead he was sent here, a half-way house whose program was designed to give first time offenders a second chance.

As he walked through the grounds, he felt the eyes upon him. The eyes of the other inmates held a variety of looks, ranging from fear and awe to distain and derision. As he passed out of sight of the other residents, he still felt something watching him. You don't go as far as he had in his former school and not be able to do at least that. He stopped and _looked_ around himself.

Not seeing anyone or anything out of the ordinary, he knew what it had to be. He called out, "You may as well show yourself, I know you're there!" With a rustle and thump another handsome young man appeared beside him carrying a long bag over his shoulder. Seeing who it was, he snorted and said, "Humph! And to what do I owe the _honor_ of this visit, Taka-_chan_!" (A.N. In this context, using the suffix _Chan_ on a male over the age of about 12 is nearly a mortal insult.)

"It certainly wasn't my wish, Traitor! But I have my orders. I am here to deliver a message."

"HAHAHAHA! So the great Hirotaka has been reduced to messenger boy. That almost makes what has happened to me worth it!"

"You misunderstand, _Shima-chan_! I was chosen to deliver the message because Sensei felt I was one of the few he could trust not to kill you on sight rather then carrying out his orders. Tanaka Yori-san especially would like to have the honor of spilling you life's blood."

"And what is this _oh so important_ message."

Reaching into a pocket inside the lining of his gi, Hirotaka pulled out a traditionally folded letter with a four _Kanji_ on the outside. Two were the signature of the headmaster of his former school. The last two were very formal, old fashioned ones that simply said, _Sh__ō__kan_ or _Redemption_.

Seeing the _Kanji_ his eyes widened. He growled, "If this is meant to be a joke, then you are even more of a Buffoon than the outsider was."

The arrogant young man could see his former childhood friend didn't like this anymore than he did. "It is no joke. I have been given the authority to tell you, if you accept this mission and carry it out honorably, you will be admitted back onto the rolls of the school."

Not trusting the offer and still thinking it was some kind of trap or joke, he asked, "Why me? There are dozens of students at the school, you included Sensei could call upon!"

"Because whether I like or not, while you have acted dishonorably, you are still the best swordsman of our generation. And this mission requires nothing but the best."

Narrowing his eyes, the former student opened the letter. Inside was a second page. Both were written by the same hand with such care, they were almost calligraphy. The first was in the ancient _Kanji _forms and the second in English. And both said the same thing.

To go to America and train someone he hated in the use of _Kenjutsu_: The Art of the Sword. The _Katana, Wakizashi, Naginata, _and_ Yari._ Upon successful completion of this task he would have shown himself to have regained honor and would be offered re-admittance into the School.

He screamed at his former friend, "DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS SAYS?!"

Hirotaka answered calmly, "Hai."

"Sensei cannot possibly be serious!"

"He is quite serious. The Chosen One has trainers for everything from hand-to-hand Combat to Firearms. What he needs and does not have is a Sword master. You were better than any of us with edged weapons; therefore you should be the one to go."

He unslung the bag he was carrying and held it to the other saying, "This contains all the _Bokut__ō_ you need except for the shafts to the _Naginata _and_ Yari. _You will be able to obtain the shafts locally. (_Bokut__ō_ Blunted wooden training swords)

The arrogant young man took the bag, unzipped it, and looked inside to see several types of wooden swords. Hirotaka pulled another thick envelope from the folds of his gi and passed it to his former friend. "This contains your plane tickets, identification, funds, and housing arrangements. If you accept, you are to leave within 24 hours. May I tell Sensei that you accept the mission?"

The arrogant young man looked at the letter from Sensei again, then turned his eyes to the other and simply said "Hai, I accept."

"Very well." As he turned to leave, Hirotaka looked back at the man holding the bag and said, "Understand something else, Fukushima-san. This is a message, not from Sensei, but from Tanaka Yori-san and me. If you attempt to harm The Chosen One outside of training, we will find out. And we will kill you! Slowly and Painfully! But if acquit yourself on this mission, while I doubt either of us will ever fully trust you again, we will at least treat you with the respect we did before your dishonorable actions."

'Outside of training, neh?' thought Youku Fukushima

**********

She stood on the firing line looking at the target she had sent downrange to about 9 meters. (about 30 ft) She had the Ruger in a underarm shoulder holster and two extra magazines in a belt pouch. She drew the Ruger, locked the slide back and pulled the ready mag from her back pocket. Keeping the weapon pointed down, she slapped the clip home and released the slide lock, chambering the first round of the first handgun to be registered in her name.

The day after the reading of Roger's will, she had gone to see Dr. Director about getting a carry permit and having the weapon registered. The woman surprised her by merely reaching into her desk drawer and pulling out the permit card with her picture on it and forms for the Ruger. All Kim had to do was fill in the serial number and sign in a few places and that fast, she was legal to carry the gun anywhere.

Betty informed her that as an authorized GJ Agent, she, like the rest of the Team except for Wade who was underage, was authorized to carry _anywhere. _This included buildings and locations that would normally be excluded such as hospitals, libraries, and courthouses. They would all fall under the laws pertaining to law enforcement personnel.

She looked down the line again, sighting the target. Shifting her right foot back and raising the pistol in a two handed grip, she squeezed the trigger. Right through the X ring. She didn't know what it was, but with the Ruger, it was just like Sagara had said. It was just like pointing your finger.

The 9MM Ruger didn't feel like the Glocks, Brownings or Smiths Sagara had in the Armory. They felt like _Guns._ But the Ruger felt different, like her old hair dryer grappler. It felt like a tool. A deadly one to be sure, but it felt like a tool she was in full control of.

She fired of the rest of the clip with measured squeezes of the trigger and every round passed through the target at center mass.

She ejected the spent magazine, safed the Ruger and brought the target forward. She set it aside and gathered four more targets and sent them down the line to different distances on all of the lanes. She was about to do something she had seen Sagara, Kaname and Wade do. When the targets were in place she pulled one of the magazines from the pouch and reloaded the weapon.

Another deep breath and she jerked the Ruger up and started firing as fast as she could squeeze the trigger.

Target, Center mass BOOM, Center mass BOOM, Head BOOM!

Next target, Center mass BOOM, Center mass BOOM, Head BOOM!

Next Center mass BOOM, Center mass BOOM, Head BOOM!

Next Center mass BOOM, Center mass BOOM, Head BOOM!

Next Center mass BOOM, Center mass BOOM, Head BOOM!

She fired until the slide locked to the rear. In one motion, she ejected the clip, drew the next, reloaded and released the slide and re-engaged the targets. Lather, rinse, repeat!

When the slide locked back this time, she was breathing as hard as if she had gone 5 rounds with Sagara. Ejecting the clip, she set the Ruger down and brought the targets forward.

Counting the holes she found that of the thirty rounds she had fired, only three on the first target, probably the first three she fired were not exactly where she wanted to place them. They would have still hit the target, but they were outside the X rings. Still, twenty-seven out of thirty wasn't bad for her first time with the Ruger.

Looking back at the Ruger laying on the shelf, she thought, 'Maybe I could get used to this.'

**********

He didn't know what happened, but something had gone wrong. He had initiated the lockout and entered part of the secure storage. He loaded a copy of several blueprints of other super weapons on to a flash drive. He finished and walked to the vault to get the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer when the code failed to open the door.

He must have tried it half a dozen times before he gave up. He didn't have a choice if he wanted to escape. He walked to the lift tube, swiped his card, and punched in his password into the PIN pad and a wave of relief passed over him as he stepped into the tube for the last time.

**********

After the last few weeks, the anger, frustration, and depression had crept deep into his psyche. So for now, rather then working out, Ron sat in the Dojo in the seiza position, deep in meditation; working through the darker emotions boiling up with in him.

Empty the mind, clear the thoughts, breathe in, hold, breathe out, hold, in, out, the cramp in his calf didn't matter, the tickle of sweat tracing down the side of his neck didn't exist. When he had finally he had driven all thought, feeling, sensation from his mind, he started to hear a name.

"Stoppable-san."

He ignored it for the peace of emptiness, but it came again.

"Stoppable-san."

Breathe. Within the depths of his mind he sat, alone in a formless void. Gradually form and shape replaced the void.

Just breathe. A rock appeared beneath him, a dry streambed beneath the rock, trees lining the streambed, a cliff behind him, water starting to fill the stream.

Breathe in. Above the cliff the streambed continued higher up the mountain until it was out of sight.

Breathe out. A glacier formed high up on the mountain.

Still Ron ignored everything. Until a torrent of water from the glacier fed stream poured over him from above.

"UUUUAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!" Ron instinctively leapt forty feet to the side to land in the meadow beside the stream dripping wet.

"While your mastery of the techniques of meditation have dramatically improved, Stoppable-san, I need to impart some things to you."

"Dddddddid ya haaaaaave to mmmmmmake it so ccccccccold?! That wwwwwwwater was ffffffffreezing!"

A warm breeze flowed across the meadow warning him as it dried his clothes. A wavering image started to form front of him. Red and gold robes, white mustache and beard with a white top knot. "Greetings Stoppable-san"

Ron put his hands together in front of him and bowed, greeting the ancient Master. "Sensei." Ron looked around at the meadow, took a breath, closed his eyes, and concentrated.

Sensei looked around at the image of the mountain meadow he had imposed onto Ronald Stoppable's mindscape wavered into a copy of the Dojo Ron was currently kneeling in. The two images overlapped as each struggled for dominance. He concentrated harder trying to enforce his vision rather then Ronald's. For a timeless interval they struggled until finally, by unspoken agreement the image resolved back into a featureless void.

Sensei was a cool and collected as Ron was panting with sweat flowing down his face. "Excellent, Stoppable-san. You have successfully prevented me from imposing my will here, within your mind. You have come farther then I believed."

Panting Ron said, "But I couldn't force my will here either."

"Stoppable-san, at the risk of sounding conceited, there are few people in the world that could have defeated me as you just did. I have had nearly a century to train my mind and while you might not have been able to force me out, neither could I force my way further in. That is an accomplishment by itself. Keep working on your techniques and they will stand you in good stead."

Ron was still a bit peeved at the drenching he had received, "So what so important ya had to douse with ice water?"

Not letting Ron's simmering emotions affect him, Sensei answered, "I wanted to inform you that I am sending you a Swordmaster. Possible-san and Sagara-kun are excellent trainers, but both lack the skill of _Kenjutsu _you will need. He should arrive within 48 hours."

His head came up as he looked into the distance of the void and said, "Now, I believe you should return, because someone is coming with an urgent matter for your attention."

"Huh? What?" Then Ron heard a voice calling his name from within the Dojo.

"ROOOONN?!"

**********

The woman with the eye patch was scrambling trying to figure out what was happening. First the power fails something that should have been almost impossible what with not one, not two, but three redundant power systems. Then the security system not only doesn't work right, it locks everyone down, completely against protocol.

She had been reduced to using sound powered phones, called a gertude, to try and coordinate recovery efforts. This wasn't supposed to happen. Millions of dollars spent into making the base the most secure law enforcement facility only to have it backfire like this. Since the problem seemed to be the computer systems, the first thing she ordered was to try rebooting them to no avail.

While that was happening, she used another gertude line to call topside, telling the guards to stand ready to repel an assault. For all the good it would do. Without the computer and sensor systems running, they were completely defenseless.

She was nearly at her wits end when the insistent paging from her PDA sitting on her desk got on her last nerve. She had ignored it for the last hour in her efforts to get things back under control. But it kept pinging trying to get her attention. Finally having enough, she grabbed the PDA to open the message. Maybe that would stop the damn thing. "If this is some God Damned spam email……."

'_betty, found mole. will du. evidence in attachment. think base problem is sabotage caused by du. best bet shut down servers format HDD, write HDD to 0's and reinstall system. trapped in stairwell 5. will climb out and get team to stop du. betty evidence points to du in rogers murder. there's no doubt. load out.'_

She started flipping through the pages of the attachment. The years of duplicity was revealed. Instantaneous fury. "OH FUCK! FUCK ME RUNNING!" She nearly threw the PDA into the wall. It was only the fact it was one of her few means of communications that allowed her to shove it into a pocket.

But the fury couldn't be contained. She grabbed the side of her desk and with surprising strength tossed it aside. "YOU BASTARD!" She grabbed a chair, the same chair Will Du had sat in two days ago when she reassigned him back to tracking Gemini, and started smashing it against the overturned desk.

Her psyche screamed to more wanton destruction, but she had a helpless, crippled organization to fix. And if Sheldon attacked before she could at least have them ready to defend themselves, it was over.

First the security systems. She ran back into the Control Center to see the eyes of her Agents looking at her aghast. They never saw such a display of anger from her before. And they didn't want to see it again.

She grabbed the gertude line to Comp Center. "Dwyer, shut the system down, format the hard-drives, and write them to zeros. Then reinstall the system from the backups."

"Ma'am, that could take hours!"

She screamed into the gertude "Listen to me, shut them down. Completely! I don't care if you have to take a fire ax to the servers, but shut them down!"

On the other end of the line the tech in charge of 'Comp Center' wasn't about to destroy the hardware, but for what the Commander wanted, it wasn't necessary. Pointing at a couple of her assistants, she said, "You two, start pulling the Ethernet connections and power plugs." pointing to another pair, she said, "You two are gonna start disconnecting the hard-drives and pulling RAM. Now go!"

After they moved out, she turned to an old fashioned safe and started turning the dial. Once it was open, she pulled out a set of OLD 5 and a quarter inch floppy disks and a stack of CDs. Seeing what she had in her hand the last of the techs said, "Uh, Ma'am, we haven't used those in years because they're full of bugs."

"I know! But they work! As soon as they have the servers disconnected, we're gonna start reloading the system from the ground up. Grab that old 486 from storage. This is gonna take awhile, so let's get busy.

Back in the Control Center, Betty switched to another line, this one to the hangar, and issued orders for the pilots of her newly formed Bonta-kun units to man their machines. She divided her twenty-five BK's into five squads of 4, with a sixth squad of five. After ordering them to full load-outs of both lethal and non-lethal armaments, she sent the five squads to different locations throughout topside portion of the base for defense. The last she kept in reserve as a Ready Reaction Force.

When she finished giving her orders, she tried to think, 'What else?' Something about Wade's message kept pinging in the back of her mind. She pulled it out and reread the message. It took a second for it to click. The last line chilled her blood. _'betty evidence points to du in rogers murder. there's no doubt. load out.'_

"Oh Hell!" Her mind went into overdrive. 'Stoppable will kill him. And the way she is now, Possible might not try to prevent it. And Load might even try to help him. FUUUUUUUCCCCK! We need him alive."

She had one, maybe two chances. She started typing a new text message to the only two people that had a chance of stopping a rampaging Monkey Master and his Mate. "Let's hope this works!"

**********

Ron came back to the Dojo to see very grim Wade, breathing hard, but still standing. Kim entered at a run after hearing Wade hollering. Rom asked, "Wade, buddy, what's up?"

He was panting when he said, "I know who did it, Ron! I know who tried to blow you up! I know who killed Roger!"

**********

Twenty minutes later Ron was busy loading his IBA with smoke, stun, and frag grenades. He was also filling pouches with clips for the Desert Eagle .50 and the smaller Glock .40. He had removed the SAPI Plates to lighten the armor and make it more flexible. He would be relying mostly on speed, agility, and shock to get to his target. The Lotus Blade was in the shape of a Tanto in a sheath down the back of the armor.

Kim entered the armory, startling Ron by saying "Ron, we need to talk."

Ron whirls pulling the Glock. Realizing it's Kim, he replaces it saying "What's to talk about? You've been pretty clear about what you think about what's gonna happen."

She was standing there in mission gear. "We need to talk, because I'm going with you."

"No, you're not!"

"Yes, I am!"

Ron spoke with an anguished voice, "Kim, I'm not going after him to give him a beat down and a trip to jail."

"I know."

"You…you know? If you know that, then you know why you can't go."

Tears had started down her cheeks, "I don't care, I'm going. I swore that I would never let you down again, so I'm going. If for no other reason, then to watch your back, I'm going"

"Kim, I can't let you do this. You're staying."

Kim slipped into a very defensive stance. "Then I guess you've got fight on your hands sooner then you thought. Cause the only way you're leaving me behind is to kick my ass."

"Kim, I can't do that."

"Good, then it's settled, I'm going."

"Dammit Kim, NO!"

"Ron, these people have tried to kidnap Wade, terrorized his parents, killed Roger, tried to kill the rest of your family, and put you, me and Sagara in hospital. I'm going."

"K.P. please stay here."

"No, Ron"

Ron could see it in her eyes. The only way he was going to be able to leave her behind was to knock her out. That meant hand to hand, because there was no way she would let him near the non-lethal weapons long enough to take her down. And he just couldn't do it.

"Alright Kim."

"Promise me."

"Kim?"

"You heard me. Promise me."

A small smile appeared and Ron said, "I promise I won't try to stop you."

A red blur slammed into him. They just held each other for a few minutes, then Ron said. "If you're going, you need protection. Let's get your armor."

Kim declined additional weapons other then the old Ruger P89 on an underarm shoulder holster and two extra mags. She did load up on flash-bangs, smoke grenades and a couple of titanium Escrima sticks. Her pistol was a last resort, but she had no qualms about either knocking the bad guys senseless or choking them out. In the small of her back she was also carrying two extra mags each for Ron's Desert Eagle and Glock.

As soon as they were loaded they climbed the stairs to the garage where they got another shock.

**********

When they got ready to climb into the Galaxie, they found Wade in the center of the back seat with his seatbelt on and an assortment of electronics and weapons in a bag beside him. He was wearing his combat harness, armor and modified helmet, transferring things from the bag to the harness. When he saw them approaching, he reached up and locked the rear doors and picked up two high energy Tazers. He set one in his lap and held the other two handed aimed down but in Ron's direction.

Ron and Kim opened the front doors and looked inside, "Out of the car, Wade." Ron ordered.

"Nope." Wade was looking straight ahead, like Sagara had shown him, watching for movement in his peripheral vision

"Wade."

"Let's go, you're wasting time." The Tazer never moved. He kept it down, but ready.

"Well get out of the car and we can stop wasting time."

"Not a chance, Ron. This bastard had me fooled for months. If I'd have been a little faster….." His breathing hitched as his voice broke until he regained control, "I might have been able to prevent a lot of stuff. Roger being top of the list. If you try to take me out of this car, well….." he settled the Tazer a bit.

"So, what, are ya gonna taze the both of us?"

Wade glanced at Ron for a second and looked forward again. "Nope, just you."

Ron looked confused. "Why just me?"

"Because if I drop Kim, and I can't get to the other Tazer fast enough, you drop me and leave us both behind. But if you're down for a while, no one goes." Kim's jaw dropped at the statement. Sagara's tactical training had definitely had an effect.

"Now get in the car and let's go. I've tracked that son-of-a-bitch to some kinda safe house or warehouse in Lowerton. And I wanna piece of him." Wade snarled the last part.

Using his left hand Wade pulled out some kind of device, but the Tazer never wavered. "Now you can take me with you, or I'll get out. And thirty seconds later, I fry the distributor, climb into BK Unit 1 and go find him myself. It's your choice. Now get in the car and let's **go**! Because if I'm right, Kaname will be here in about ten minutes, probably less, then you'll have to deal with her as well."

Wade looked very seriously at the flummoxed Ron. He snapped his eyes to Kim for an instant then back to Ron. She was just as dumbfounded as her boyfriend. They stood there looking at the thirteen year old genius for a second then stood up and looked across the roof of the car at each other. They silently came to the conclusion that Wade _was pissed_.

Five minutes later a large 1960's piece of Detroit steel was roaring towards the bypass carrying three very angry young Warriors.

**********

Just after they left the building, the opposite door opened just before Eleanor came screeching to a halt in the middle of the garage. Kaname came bounding out of the car running first to the Dojo. Not seeing anybody she ran upstairs. No one was home. While she was up there, she ran to her room and dressed for action, including her armor.

After her father and sister had regained their balance from the wild ride through the city, they climbed up the stairs to the apartment. They had no idea what was going on. One minute she just cruising along on their way back from spending the day together before her family went back to New York, the next, after reading a text message, suddenly she was giving them a demonstration of the driving techniques she had learned from her boyfriend.

She met them as they entered apartment, stopped them, and said, "Follow me!" She took off heading back down the stairs.

The other two followed with her father asking, "Kaname-chan?"

She didn't answer until they reached the door to the lab and her father asked again, "Kaname-chan?"

"Daddy, I don't have time to argue. Now get in the lab. If this is a trap, it's the safest place for 100 kilometers."

"Then you're going with us."

Kaname stopped, looked at her father, and said, "No Daddy, I'm not! I have a job to do. And I can't do it from inside the lab. Now you and Ayame get in there and let me lock the door or I'll drag you in there, kicking and screaming, and lock you in anyway." She glared at her father and said, "And we both know I can do it!"

He did know it. She had tossed him around the Dojo enough to leave no doubt.

Her sister didn't know what was happening, but she somehow knew her sister was heading into danger. And it showed. "Kaname, what's happening? Where are you going?"

"To stop a murder."

His daughter had faded away, leaving behind a Warrior. She would never back down, never quit, never give up. Her father grew a rueful smile, cupped her cheek, and said, "Your mother would be so proud of you!"

She crashed into him with a fierce hug. After a moment, she pulled away, saying, "Daddy I don't have time. Now go. Ayame, you know how to lock the door?"

"Wade showed me."

"Now get in there and lock the door. Only we can get in, so you'll be safe." Kaname turned and headed back up the stairs as her family entered the lab. Ayame hit the locks and the doors closed with a soft clang and the sound of three inch bolts sliding into place.

**********

She knew she had to get to Ron before he made a mistake that would cost them the last lead they had on the real enemy. The ones who were pulling the strings and giving the orders.

Sure she wanted the mole brought down, but more importantly thought she knew who the puppeteer was. A silver haired, arrogant, _bishonen_ fruity boy named Leonard Testarossa. And long before she went after a piddling little mole, she wanted the pretty boy in her sights. Take down the puppeteer and, hopefully, three/quarters of their problems would evaporate. (_bishonen_ literally "beautiful youth" (boy). Often used in a homosexual refrent)

Just before taking the few seconds to fasten her harness, Kaname started the engine to allow the oil to circulate a bit before the rough use that was sure to come. The 500 CID started with a nasty growl, rumbling to life, and Eleanor indicated she was online. "Eleanor, engage Level 3 protocols, full power, I want all the active evasion and avoidance systems up and running." Pausing for a second, she said, "And go ahead and activate the defensive systems. Start scanning from Ron's Kimmunicator. We have to find and stop him."

"Scanning initiated. Query: What is Ronald trying to do that we must stop him?"

"We think he's going to kill a G.J. mole. The same one responsible for the attacks on his family. One we need alive to find his boss."

"I see, Scanning……I have a location on Ronald's Kimmunicator."

Roaring out of the warehouse the GTO came airborne as it passed the hump meant to slow car before entering. Racing a block ahead, Kaname snapped a turn toward the center of town. The engine was screaming from the demands of the driver. She hollered at the A.I. "How far ahead is he, Eleanor?"

"According to the GPS in Ronald's Kimmunicator, Kaname, he has approximately an 8 to 9 minute lead."

"Well, we'll make that up in a hurry."

"Don't be so sure Kaname. According to my data, although he has a smaller engine, he his also not carrying as much weight. I estimate he has a 5 to 7 percent better Power to Weight Ratio. He is not carrying any armor or armaments. Also when he and Roger restored the vehicle they greatly improved the suspension and reduced the total weight by a liberal use of composites.

"Although the Galaxie is not as maneuverable as I am, it is faster and has better acceleration at higher speed. As long as he stays in the city our advanced sensors, better maneuverability, and low end torque should allow us to catch up.

"But if he gets into and stays the open, then he'll be able to use his better horsepower ratios. There's a chance, a very good chance he can lose us. Especially if he figures out we're tracking his Kimmunicator"

Kaname swore, "Dammit, any GJ aircraft or police in the area?"

"Scanning……, none detected, there are two police vehicles that have a 20% or less chance of interception. However depending on how ruthless Ron is willing to be, he could either avoid or blow through any roadblock."

"Well, I think it's a safe bet Ron's willing to be pretty ruthless."

"I would say so, Kaname."

"Any idea where he's headed"

"I believe so, I have extrapolated a probable destination from his direction, and data intercepts. He should be headed to a warehouse on the south side of Lowerton. Scanning……, Ron seems to be taking the bypass in favor of higher speed and lighter traffic. Tightening scans……, we should be able to intercept him by going through the center of town. Route on the heads-up display now."

"Zoom in closer, Eleanor. Keep scanning for anything in the way."

"Complying. Nothing noted on projected route."

Kaname drifted through a hard turn, lining up on Main, she up shifted and accelerated past 100 MPH, thanking the Gods Dr. Director allowed them to install the light bars and sirens. With sirens screaming and lights flashing, the GTO thundered through the center of town on the quiet late Saturday afternoon. Seeing the lights behind them cars pulled out of the way as Kaname blasted past them like they were standing on jack stands.

Using the commo system, Eleanor hacked the system for the traffic lights. She forced the lights to open a path by going red for everyone else in their way.

Since she was already in the system, Eleanor 'looked' around and noted something odd about the route Ron was taking. The lights were changing for him, almost like someone had hacked the system for him similar to what she was doing for Kaname. Very carefully and at the faster then thought speeds of an A.I., Eleanor searched for the hacker. She found a trace and ever so gently tried to follow it back to its origin. It was routed through dozens of servers and nodes, too many for her to trace while engaged in a high speed intercept.

While she couldn't prove it, she had a sneaking suspicion who was on the other end: a thirteen year old genius named Dr. Wade Load. The question was, why was Dr. Load helping Ron. The teenager had to know Ron had no intention of even trying to take prisoners.

**********

Through the darkening mountain valleys, like an RAF Tornado on a low-level bombing run, a sound thundered overhead and was gone before anybody had a chance to get a look at the plane passing by. Not that they would have been able to see it anyway because Sousuke had the ECS on full.

He was pushing the flight pack to the limit to get back in time to try and stop a mistake.

And the day started out so well!


	32. Through The Never

Chapter 32 Through the Never

AN: First I wanna thank the Beta Team of CajumBear and Sentinel. They put up with my sending bit and pieces of these chapters over and over while I try to put this disjointed story together. You Dudes Rock!

Song located at Youtube, this link /watch?v=dJ0ajjs0lMo

Title: Through the Never

Artist: Metallica

Go ahead and get the page ready, trust me. Because when it's time for the music to start you're not gonna wanna pause to find it.

Also, I know I have pointed this out before. Still. Unlike some authors who just drop the songs lyrics into a story, I try to time the song to the story flow. The way I try to use the music is to set the tone. It's not intended that you read the lyrics, they're just there to help with the timing.

* * *

Inside the lab, Shunya and Ayame logged onto separate computers to take their minds off of the worry about a family member who was heading into a conflict situation, much like a law enforcement officer, which she basically was, as well as the boredom of being locked inside what was for all intents and purposes a bank vault. Unnoticed by either of them, as soon as they tried to log on, lights on several towers started flashing.

* * *

In the back seat of the car, his palmtop pinged him letting him know that two of the servers inside the lab showed someone accessing them locally. Pulling up the labs cameras and remote desktops, he saw Shunya and Ayame Chidori trying to log on. He tapped in the codes to let them have limited access and start the 'Nanny' software on Ayame's tower.

Once he finished, he remotely accessed a variety of sensors, satellites and data inputs. One of the many programs he had running noted two high speed ground targets in the area. Pulling the traffic cameras, he saw that one of the targets was the Galaxie he was riding in.

The other was a dark blur moving through the middle of town. It could only be Kaname in Eleanor. Pulling back, he jumped ahead of the probable route she was taking. He kept jumping ahead until he saw a way to slow or stop her for a while. With a grin, he hacked the databases he needed to put the road block in place. Before that though.

"Hey, guys. Pass me your Kimmunicators."

Kim looked over her shoulder into the backseat to see Wade punching away at the customized keyboard for his Kimmunicator with one hand holding his other hand out waiting for the pair in the front to pass them back. Kim slipped hers back to the genius, but Ron had to have Kim reach into his cargo pocket to retrieve his because he didn't dare take his hands from the wheel. He was going too fast and needed every bit of control to avoid the light traffic on the road.

Once Wade had the devices he opened the back of each and using a small pointed tool from his vest, he moved a few micro-switches, muttering "Lets see em track us now." Once he had the GPS locators switched off he turned his attention back to the servers based back in the lab and started entering commands the net.

* * *

The sirens were starting to give her a headache, but she didn't dare turn them off. She blasted through the south end of town past the suburban areas towards Lowerton. Eleanor had her driving along a road paralleling one of the railway terminals on the edge of town.

"Kaname, the signal for Ronald's Kimmunicator has just cut off."

"Can you tap any overheads?"

"Working…… There are two satellites overhead, but neither is responding to command interfaces. Probable reason is they have been locked out by Dr. Load."

"Damn it. Were they still heading to that warehouse?"

"Affirmative."

Unknown to her and hidden from Eleanor's electronic scanning, a set of locomotives on the far end of the terminal received instructions to start to assemble a freight train for departure. Eleanor noted the train moving and informed Kaname.

"Kaname, you must come to a stop before the rail crossing."

"What? Why?"

"Because there is not enough time for you to pass the crossing before the train blocks the crossing."

"Like Hell!" Kaname had been going as fast as she dared until then. Hearing Eleanor's pronouncement, she floored the accelerator pushing the 500 CID engine harder.

An instant later the car started slowing down and Eleanor said "Kaname, even if we were already at top speed it is too late. Between acceleration and travel time the fastest we could pass the crossing would be 21 seconds. The train will cross in 17 seconds. I am armored against attacks up to and including .50 caliber and RPG strikes. But a 750 meter train is something else entirely. We must either wait out the train or find an alternate route."

"Grrr, find it."

Searching……alternate route on HUD. We must backtrack to a road that leads to the same bypass Team Possible is using. This rail terminal was one of the reasons the bypass was built."

The track Eleanor laid out was miles behind them. "How long?"

"STD calculations complete. At best speed alternate route adds twenty minutes to travel time. We would arrive twenty to thirty minutes behind Team Possible."

"What about the train? How long till it's out of the way?"

"Searching….Estimate 25 to 30 minutes before the train clears the crossing. Kaname, according to the railway database, this freight train was not supposed to start assembly for another forty-four minutes. I suspect Dr. Load is tampering to prevent our intercept"

"Great, just great! Fine!" Kaname spun the wheel around and powered through a spin, reversing her direction, heading back the way she came. "At this rate we'll be too late!"

"Kaname, I have established communications with the Arbalest AI. Data shows he is on a return course to our area. Sergeant Sagara is onboard. Crossfeeding data. Do you wish to open voice communications with Sergeant Sagara?"

"YES!"

There was a pause as the AI contacted her counterpart in the mecha. "Go ahead, Kaname."

* * *

As an Arm Slave pilot, Staff Sergeant Sousuke Sagara had always relied heavily on the mecha's AI to keep him alive. More so now than before, because he was flying a LOT lower then he normally did. He had to stay well below normal civilian, commercial and military traffic, but either fly above or avoid any ground obstacles that were in his flight path. It wasn't an easy balance to strike. The only reason he hadn't crashed yet was the terrain following programs built into the AI. It took a lot of concentration not to paste him across the landscape.

"Sergeant Sagara, there is an incoming transmission from Miss Chidori. Do you with to accept communication link?" Sagara barely pulled up in time to avoid clipping one of the cellular towers that dotted the semi-urban landscape.

"Affirmative. Go ahead Kaname-chan."

"Since you're on your way back early, I guess you heard what happened at G.J.?"

"Affirmative, I received a text based message from Commander Director reporting events and her assessment of the probable actions of Stoppable-san."

Kaname drifted through a turn. "Well it's worse then she thought. Kim and Wade are with him. It looks like Wade's trying to stop us. He tapped into the net and stuck a train in our way." She chuckled, "You have to admire his ingenuity."

Sousuke juked under a high tension power line. "Have you tried contacting them?"

"No response from their Kimmunicators. We were tracking Ron's for a while but the signal cut off."

Sousuke addressed the two AI's "Al, Eleanor, analysis."

There were the sounds of high speed data transfer as the two AI's conferred. Al responded, "We believe that Dr. Load has disabled the GPS trackers in the Kimmunicators."

Kaname roared past another car as she asked, "What about the rig in the car? Wade set it up, so I bet it has coms."

Both AI's said, "Accessing." Eleanor responded for the both of them. "According to the schematics, it does. Also, we can force the set in the car to open a channel. Should we do so?"

Kaname said, "Give us a minute, guys. Sousuke?"

* * *

Inside the piece of Detroit Steel fast approaching its destination, the occupants were startled by the stereo in the dash ejecting part of itself and flipping to reveal LCD screen. With a burst of static, the small LCD monitor split screened revealing Kaname on one side and Sagara on the other. Neither were looking at the camera, concentrating instead on the vehicles they were in. "Stoppable-san, this is Sergeant Sagara, come in." While Kaname had vastly better interpersonal skills, she knew that Sousuke was in a much better position to understand and hopefully reach Ron

Ron concentrated on the road. He had no wish to listen to anyone that was going to try and talk him out of what was coming.

"Stoppable-san, come in, please."

Kim looked over at her best friend, boyfriend, Partner and soulmate. "Ron."

Ron just looked at the road in front of him, hands white-knuckled on the wheel, while Kim pleaded with him. She wanted to touch him, but she knew he had to stay focused on the road. "Ronnie, I'll follow you anywhere." She glanced into the back seat to see the smoldering eyes of her youngest teammate. She could tell he was almost as furious as Ron at Du's treachery. "So would Wade. But talk to him. Please?" Kim knew she had little to no chance of talking Ron out of the state of mind he was in.

Ron savagely tapped the connect. "What do you want, Sagara? I'm little busy."

"Stoppable-san, you must not terminate the target. You need him alive."

Ron screamed at the connection, "He killed ROGER. He nearly killed the rest of my family. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THAT FEELS LIKE?"

"Yes I do. ALL my family was killed when I was six." Ron nearly lost control gaping at the screen. He had completely forgotten about that. "And I was there in your family's home, remember? This man nearly killed Kaname and her family as well." Sousuke's image was visibly trembling with rage. "Believe me, better than anyone, I understand the desire, the NEED for vengeance."

"Damn it, Sagara, he nearly killed you, too."

"Compared to the threats against Kaname-chan and the rest of you, that is meaningless to me. Just as I'm sure it is to you in the same situation. Threats to Possible-san carry infinitely more weight than threats to you, do they not? Stoppable-san, the target is a traitor and a mole. But a mole for WHO? Like when a lizard loses its tail. What get's left behind becomes a distraction to a predator while the lizard escapes. Your target is merely the tail."

"The question you have to ask yourself is do you want the hand that pulled the trigger, or would you rather have the mind behind the hands actions? I know how you feel, the hurt, the anger, the _Rage_. But, if you give in to your rage, then you will be no better then those you are trying to kill. And worse, you will leave the mind behind the actions of the hand untouched. And like the lizard regrows its tail, that mind can strike at us again in the future."

Ron growled, "You sound a lot like Sensei."

"I spent years learning to not give in the rage. His teachings were a large part of the education process."

Ron looked in the mirror at his young friend in the back seat. Wade just nodded. Ron then looked at the young woman buckled in beside him. She didn't even have to nod. They just looked at each other for a split second.

For years, he had gone places and done things, at both their suggestions and commands. Freak-fighting beside Kim, trying his best to do what he had to, to watch her back. Or his solo missions, doing whatever Wade said he needed to do to get the job done. This time was different, this was HIS mission and both would follow his lead.

"Alright Sagara, I'm not just gonna flat out kill him. We'll try to bring his sorry ass in. But so help me God…." Ron just trailed off, watching the road, flint-eyed, tight lipped and breathing hard through his nose.

"I understand completely Stoppable-san. Do you wish to wait for us as reinforcements?"

"Wade thinks he's getting ready to bug out of the lair he's in. We better hit it as soon as we can. Can you guys keep coming as a backup?"

"Load-sensei, can you confirm your destination?"

"Just a sec." Using the palmtop, Wade sent the data the AI's

When he saw it flash up on the screen, the Sergeant asked, "Al, Eleanor?"

Eleanor quipped, "Well if we don't have to avoid another train, we should be on target in 25 to 30 minutes. Arbalest?" Wade had a rueful grin, muttering "Sorry."

The basso voice of the combat mecha replied, "Thirty-five minutes to intercept."

Wade tapped again and said, "That means that Kaname will be about fifteen minutes behind us and Sagara about twenty."

Kim looked at the screen and said, "You two should wait and come in together."

"Kaname-chan, are you carrying my weapons bag?"

She grinned, "Yours and mine both. Both were loaded and checked a few days ago by Wade."

"Team Possible, we will assault upon our arrival unless we receive the word to stand down. Agreed?"

"Sounds good. We'll see you there."

* * *

As Team Possible reached their destination, Wade sent a message to both Al and Eleanor, informing them about some of the additions and changes to the weapons bags for Kaname and Sagara. One device in particular.

After they parked the car, Wade pulled a duffel from the rear floorboard and called out, "Hey, hold up a sec." He started pulling things from some of the side pouches and passed them a couple of headsets. "Use these for commo. They use a 256 bit encryption, would take 'em weeks to figure out what were saying and by then we'll have changed the encryption." The headsets had a bud for the ear and a small boom for the mic. They also had a band that wrapped around the head of the wearer to keep them in place.

As they settled the headsets in place, Wade continued pulling items from the main compartment, "Here, take a few of these with you. They'll come in handy!" He pulled several baseball sized objects that looked like twenty sided polyhedrons with a grenade type igniter, spoon and pin in the top. There were also several of long, heavy, thin springs attached to the bottom of the device with the ends that came up and secured the top near the igniter.

Ron asks "Grenades? Wade we already have plenty of grenades."

"Not like these, Ron. These are 'Goonades'"

Ron was confused. Not that unusual, but even Kim was slightly puzzled by what Wade was saying. Ron said, "Wade, ole buddy, why would we wanna give the goons any aid? The point is to stop them, right?"

"No Ron, you're missing the reference. These are 'Goo Grenades'. Goonades! Get it? You pull the pin, HARD, and toss it at the bad guys. Pulling the pin spins up a small internal gyroscope. After you throw it, the spoon flies off. It hits the ground, three seconds later, the spring legs cause it to flip upright and a pin called a 'pogo' comes out of the bottom bouncing it up to about a meter and a half. The gyro inside keeps it stable in the air. When it gets to the apex a stream of goo erupts from each face to a radius of five meters, sticking to anything like a cobweb. Each strand has a tensile breaking point of about five hundred pounds and they'll last for about an hour before breaking down."

The couple looked at their smaller partner with falling jaws.

"And since the best place for them to go off is about 5 to 7 feet above the ground the pogo inside automatically gets it there. Just be careful, don't try to 'cook' them off. They'll stick you just as fast as the bad guys."

Wade was grinning like a fool, "Bad guys got you pinned from behind a barrier or around a corner? Bounce one of these babies off the wall behind them and suddenly they're stuck like flies in a web. Wanna secure your 'six'; toss one in the hallway or corridor behind you. And the more they struggle the worse their stuck. Best of all, about the only danger to the bad guys is strangulation."

Kim could see more then just the two tactical situations Wade mentioned where the new device would be just the thing. She was ecstatic, "Spankin'! Wade, you're a genius."

Wade looked sheepish and said, "Wish I could take the credit for this, but the truth is, Drakken gave me these with the understanding I send him any field data. He said he got the idea from an old improvised mine called a 'Bouncing Betty'. G.J., the U.S. Army, the Marines and a whole buncha police agencies offered him contracts worth a coupla hundred million dollars to produce and improve the designs."

"From what I hear Jack Hench is frothing at the mouth trying to get his hands on the goo formula so he can design a counter to 'em, but Drakken's already working on Mark's II and III. Mark II gets fired from a shotgun like the beanbag rounds. With the Mark III, you'll be able to fire them from the standard M203 and Mk19 40mm grenade launchers. He's making money faster then he can spend it."

Ron observed. "Who knew? Drakken seems to be making a LOT more money going straight than he ever did being a villain. I guess if you can't rule the world you might as well be rich."

Kim and Ron both loaded several of the 'Goonades' into pockets and any open spaces on their armor.

* * *

Using the grapplers, Kim and Ron, with Kim pulling Wade, reached the top of the warehouse. Wade consulted his palmtop and pointed to a HVAC duct. They reached the duct and pried an opening. Wade ran a scan noting the positions of several human sized life forms. Some appeared to be moving material to trucks. Others were sitting in the ground floor office sections. All told there seemed to be about twenty people inside the building. A little much for a weekend at a building that was supposed to be empty in the first place. He cross loaded the data to the other Kimmunicators and set the feeds to update every few minutes.

When they entered the ducts Wade, since he had the least field time, was placed trailing Kim and ahead of Ron. Listening at each of the vents, eventually they heard the sounds of someone berating others. "Schnell! We must be loaded within the next thirty minutes! We must be gone before the Amateurs arrive!"

At the word 'Amateurs', Ron looked like he was about to tear through the wall of the duct. Will Du was below. Kim just looked over her shoulder and '_Looked_' at Ron, shaking her head. She could see the blue haze starting to rise in his eyes before he mastered himself and let it fade away. He nodded to her to continue.

They tried to keep as quiet as possible, but Wade just didn't have the experience of the other two. Luckily inside the warehouse, the men had a couple forklifts running, masking the noise. Not knowing any better, Wade put his weight on top of a vent and crashed through into the warehouse below.

Ron saw his friend disappear. "Wade! KP?" Ron shuffled forward to see the only reason Wade didn't die from the fall was his landing in a crate of 'packing peanuts'. That was the good news. The bad news was his landing alerted the men moving material to the waiting trucks of their presence.

Instantly they brought the Styer SPP's they were carrying to the ready position and opened fire. "WADE!" Ron grabbed the lip of the vent Wade had fallen through, flipped into the open and dropped beside his friend. As Ron started dragging him backwards, a burst of 9mm fire stitched it's way across Ron's back, but the armor held. Ron screamed from the bruises and nearly fell, but he regained his feet and continued to pull his friend out of the line of fire.

Kim backed up to the opening Wade had fallen through in time to see Ron nearly fall. "RON!" She flipped to the ground near the other members of the Team and helped pull Wade as they all ducked behind a stack of crates with automatic gunfire going off in front of them, knocking off pieces of the crates, sending wooden splinters flying around them. The only problem now was they were pinned behind a stack of crates while 9mm fire tore chunks out of the crates, whittling away at their cover.

_Through the Never _START

After shaking off the unexpected fall, his training kicked in. Wade drew his Glock and fastened a strange device to the side of it, then pulled a pair of glasses from his vest. Putting on the glasses, he flipped a switch on the side of the device, raised the pistol, exposing only his hand and started firing almost as fast as he could pull the trigger. The goons stated scattering from the aimed fire from an enemy they couldn't see, let alone hit.

He kept firing until the slide locked to the rear. Pulling another clip, he ejected the first, reloaded the Glock and resumed sending rounds downrange. This time with a much more measured rate of fire. Looking at his shocked teammates he said, "We can't stay here long!"

_All that is, was and will be  
Universe much too big to see  
Time and space never ending  
Disturbing thoughts, questions pending  
Limitations of human understanding  
_

Shaking off the surprise of Wade's techno-gun, Ron hollered, "KP, Hammer and Anvil?"

"Left, Right, Full Shock! Wade, you keep their attention here for a few seconds. We'll handle the rest."

Wade gave the other two a savage grin. "I'll do more than keep their attention."

"Wade?"

"You do what you gotta do, don't worry about me. Wait for my signal." As the couple drifted to the sides, Wade fired a couple of rounds over the top of the barrier in the general direction of the enemy.

_Too quick to criticize  
Obligation to survive  
We hunger to be alive  
Yeeeaaaahh  
_

He dropped his assault pack and pulled enough magazines to reload his pouches, occasionally firing over the top to keep their attention. Then he pulled a strange yellow and red belt out of the assault pack and fastened it around his waist. He replaced the pack and used the headset to tell Kim and Ron he was set and to wait for his signal.

_(Twisting, turning, through the never)  
All that is, ever  
Ever was, will be, ever  
Twisting, turning, through the never_

Wade reholstered the Glock, then taking a page from Ron's book of distraction, got their full and undivided attention by going over the top of the crate he was using for cover and driving straight up the middle. Halfway to the line of goons, Wade hollered, "GO!", and all hell broke loose.

Seeing the teen charging straight into the teeth of the fire they were laying down shocked the men enough to slacken their fire for a second before they resumed pouring it into the oncoming teenager.

_In the dark, see past our eyes  
Pursuit of truth no matter where it lies  
Gazing up to the breeze of the heavens  
On a quest, meaning, reason  
Come to be, how it begun  
_

To absolutely no effect. Just before he charged, Wade tapped a button on the belt and a shimmering cylinder appeared around him. Wade had dug out Zorpox's shield belt from somewhere and was putting it to good use. While he couldn't fire through the shield, he could use it as a weapon itself by running into the enemy.

The power usage was enormous, but the results were worth it. While the shield was up, he was untouchable! Within seconds, Wade was in the middle of the enemy and every one of them was looking in at him and not out to the sides.

_All alone in the family of the sun  
Curiosity teasing everyone  
On our home, third stone from the sun  
Yeeeaaaah!_

That was when Kim and Ron hit the flanks of squad sized group like a tsunami. Kim bolted from concealment running in an arc until she reached a stack of crates. Using the stack to change direction, she vaulted into the right flank of the goons with a double flip and a twist that made her petite form even smaller. She landed with a flurry of sticks and black clad, purple striped legs and feet.

_(Twisting, turning, through the never)  
All that is, ever  
Ever was, will be, ever  
Twisting, turning, through the never  
_

Ron moved at the same time running full tilt at the wall on the left side and didn't stop. Reaching the wall he ran up and across, appearing from the left as a blue glowing, whirling dervish. Bodies went flying.

Wade didn't have to do anything else but stand there as the anvil to the two hammers coming in from opposite directions. He didn't have to, but he did. Keeping the shield up, he shifted from side to side throwing the enemy off balance and into the cyclones to the sides.

_Guitar Riff… _

One of the henchmen tried to get a bead on Kim with his pistol, but he overextended a fraction too far. Kim parried the gun bearing arm to the left with her right Escrima and without thinking brought the left across in a scissor action dislocating the mans elbow. Pivoting on her left foot, she brought the right Escrima around in a spinning backblow that caught the man on the side of his helmet, literally knocking him end over end. Turning her attention to the next henchmen in line, planting her right foot and lifting her left, she continued her clockwise spin, catching the man with her left boot. Teeth went flying.

On the other side, Ron had the Lotus Blade in the form of a Bo and was using more then a few low blows, breaking Femur's, Patella's, Tibia's and Fibula's left and right to reduce the pressure of the enemy on Kim and Wade. Not that they needed it. While Ron's anger hadn't reached murderous heights, he was through fucking around with these guys. They were the ones that brought firearms into the fight and he was gonna make 'em pay for that mistake. They would live through his retribution, but they would 'By God' feel it for the rest of their lives.

_On through the never we must go  
On through the never, out to the  
Edge of forever we must go  
On through the never, the never comes  
_

When the center realized that Wade was untouchable and was merely bouncing back and forth, they turned their attention to the rapidly failing flanks. Mistake. When the goons looked away to concentrate on the 'Real Threat' to the sides, they quit firing at Wade and aimed their weapons to the left and right, trying to get a shot in that wouldn't hit one of their own.

Once their attention was off of him, Wade pressed the button to deactivate the shield. Just the few seconds he had it up had used forty percent of the power and he wanted to conserve it for later. Not that he needed it now anyway. He was too close to the enemy for them to shoot him without hitting a friendly. But they had looked away and Wade was taking full advantage of the mistake.

_(Twisting, turning, through the never)  
All that is, ever  
Ever was, will be, ever  
Twisting, turning,  
Who we are, ask forever  
Twisting, turning, through the never_

Never!

Once the shield was down, he pulled a bar about eleven inches long from a holster on his left thigh. Activating the mechanism, it expanded to over three feet long. His first strike took one of the enemies right in the left kidney, dropping the man in his tracks. Then he swung the Bo in a tight arc to the right, blindsiding the goon with a blow to the thigh that caused the leg to fail.

Between the Furies to the sides and the Rock of Gibraltar in the center, it wasn't long before all the enemy was down while the Team was only breathing a little harder then normal.

Wade shucked his pack, shrunk the Bo, replaced it in its holster and drew his sidearm and started covering the downed bad guys. "Kim, Ron, top pouch in my pack. Zip-cuffs!" He knew they had better hand-to-hand skill so they would be the ones to secure the enemy while he covered them. The goons were quickly secured using the cuffs to tie them to each other, with a hurt man secured to someone hurt _not so much_.

The Team glanced at each other, just enough for silent confirmation that none of them were hurt. Once the assurances were aside, Wade replaced the pack and pulled the palmtop to start scanning again while Kim took over covering duties.

Waiting for the data, Kim reflected. This was the first real mission/fight she and Ron had been on since Sagara and Kaname arrived a few months ago and she knew there was a difference between Team Possible now and six months ago. In less then 3 minutes, the Team had handled a bunch of goons that would have had them on the ropes, and maybe captured, half a year ago.

Although it had started because of the rift that had grown between her and Ron, she was thankful for the appearance of the Japanese couple into their lives. Like the iron in a blacksmith's forge, they had been heated, beaten, hammered, quenched and tempered to be re-forged into carbon steel, stronger and tougher then before. Thanks to Sagara's brutal, sometimes merciless training, they had been turned into a unit that almost operated as a single mind with three bodies.

In the meantime, Ron started questioning the conscious men. He only asked one question. "Where's Du?" He got a variety of responses, from "I don't know." to surly insults in German. He thought about pulling the Lotus Blade and start hacking until he got real answers. But then the thought of cold blooded murdering these men chilled him. Sagara was right. If he did that, he would be no better then they were. And if he did, it would cost him his soul.

"Got em!" Wade pointed, "There's several in the offices in that direction. They seem to be trying to gather files for destruction." He pointed in another direction, "The rest are over there with the mainframe. I'd bet they're working on destroying the hard drives." He growled, "Not sure where Du is. All the life signs are normal."

"Ron, can you handle the guys in the offices while I go with Wade to the computers?" Ron looked at the display. It showed there were more men in the offices then there was near the mainframes. In his mind's eye, almost like the cyborg from Ahnolds Devastator movies, he saw a readout.

**Mission Main Target: Will Du**

**Location Possibilities: **

**1. Mainframe: Higher Tactical/Strategic Value, Fewer Possible Threats/Targets.**

**2. Office: Lower Tactical/Strategic Value, More Possible Threats/Targets.**

**Probability Assessment: 50/50. **

The decision came down to the fact that Kim trusted him to handle the larger threat. It was a decision he would regret for years.

_

* * *

_

Omake (pr Oh-ma-key) An Omake is a short side story, usually satirical or farcical, to the main storyline of Japanese Manga.

_Drakken's Money_

_Edward Lipsky had gone to pay a visit to Jersey to see his mother. A fact that Drew Theodore P. 'Dr. Drakken' Lipsky was grateful for. He was currently pushing a wheelbarrow filled to overflowing with that green and black printed linen script known as 'Money'. He pushed the wheelbarrow into one of the rooms and came out a moment later with an empty wheelbarrow. He headed back to the dock area to get another load from the armored truck that was waiting there. _

_Strangely enough, if the grumbling was any indication, he didn't seem to be happy. "Oh Doodles, we're running out of room in the lair. I'm going to have to hire temporary 'Henchmen' to help cart this off to the bank tomorrow."_

_His pregnant paramour sat on one of the couches in the living area, legs resting on a stack of pillows as she channel surfed on the humongous hi-def that dominated the room. She had sat there as her lover had carted load after load into the building. After hearing his gripe, she couldn't take it any more. "Drew? Sweetheart, you do know there's this thing called direct deposit, right?"_

_Drakken just stopped and looked at his lady. "Of course I do, Dear. But that's not the point. You see, even with all of our villainous plots and take-over-world schemes over the years, we never did one thing I've wanted to do all my life."_

_Shego was a bit pensive and slightly confused by now. She almost dreaded asking the next question. "And what was that?"_

_He looked at her with a maniacal toothy grin and said, "Once, just once before I leave this earth, I want to have so much money I can actually 'Wallow' in it! This is the last truck and I only have a few loads left."_

_His expression changed from maniacal to a leer and he said, "And Shego, the first thing I did was fill the Jacuzzi! Care to join me?"_


	33. The Aftermath: Blurs and Nightmares

Thanks again to my sounding board Sentinel103. We get to bouncing ideas off each other and the fur flies. Only problem is I have to rein in his more esoteric tendencies.

Then there's my proofreader CajunBear73. How he catches all the goofball mistakes I make I'll never know. (hanger/hanger, your/you're, their/they're/there, missing punctuation/Caps/Quote marks. You get the idea)

Thanks Dude's. Y'all makin' me actually sound intelligent.

* * *

Chapter 33 The Aftermath: Blurs and Nightmares

Kaname arrived at the site and parked on the back lot near the Galaxie. Both cars were parked well away from the warehouse in question. She stepped out of the GTO and made her way to the trunk of the car. Opening the trunk revealed a couple of bags. Pulling them closer to the back of the car, she opened a side pouch on each and pulled out a headset matching the ones being used by Kim, Ron and Wade.

Putting one in place, she asked, "Eleanor, can you sync these to the rest of the team?"

"Accessing, frequency found, loading encryption codes, 256-bit encryption active. Coms are active and secure, Kaname. I have cross-loaded the codes to Arbalest so that we can monitor the situation as needed."

"Good, how long till Sousuke gets here?"

"ETA two minutes. Kaname, Dr. Load loaded additional munitions in your weapons bags. Specifically, something he called 'Goonades'. They are an entanglement type of ordinance designed to secure an enemy at a distance."

Kaname opened the ammo box to reveal an even dozen of the new grenades. "How do they work?" Eleanor gave her the same explanation that Wade had given Kim and Ron earlier. Kaname's reaction was similar to Kim's. "OH Yes, me like!" Then she became a bit melancholy. She wished she had a few of these when she was running from Yu Lan. She might have been able to capture her and maybe even stop Leonard Testarossa from having an Arastol snap her neck. Shaking her head, she dispelled the flashback. She didn't have time for rehashing her past actions.

She heard it long before she could see it. The thundering roar of turbines as something unseen approached for a landing. In a field behind the lot, she saw a series of sudden craters appearing from nothing as the Arbalest landed at a run, scrubbing speed until they came to a stop.

Keeping the ECS measures in place, Sousuke popped the cockpit hatch and clambered down the side of the mecha. When he reached the ground, the hatch closed causing the mecha to vanish again. As he approached the GTO, he first put on the headset and started pulling things from his bag while he had a few questions. "Al, can you use your ECS to cover Stoppable-sans car?"

The basso voice of the AI responded, "Calculating… Yes Sagara, if I am placed in a kneeling position over the automobile, I can redirect the emitters to cover both machines."

"Very well, do so. Keep your ECS active at all times. Both of you monitor our communications at all times.

"Also if you have to, you are to escape and evade rather then let anyone access to you or Stoppable-san's car. Take it with you, but handle it as gently as possible. You're going with us Eleanor, your going to transport Kaname and myself to the other side of this line of structures. But the same orders apply for you. Escape and evade.

"Once Eleanor has dropped us off, the two of you assist each other as needed. Al, you are our fallback position. If necessary you are to provide covering fire with the chain guns. Eleanor, you are our mobile evac. Be prepared to move out to our location for pickup, but we are planning to rally here.

"If you are forced to abandon this position, attempt to remain close by incase we need to escape. If that fails, rendezvous back at the GJ hangar. Al, when you get there, place yourself under the orders of Commander Director and ONLY her. She is the only GJ agent to be allowed in your cockpit.

"In the meantime, keep attempting to contact GJ. Inform them we are onsite and may need prisoner transport. If you are able to reestablish contact, link them to any Team member available. Understood?"

"Understood Sergeant. Stand by here unless position is threatened, evade as needed to remain nearby, provide covering fire to any Team member if needed, failing that, return to the hangar and follow the orders of Dr. Elizabeth Director. Attempt to reestablish contact with GJ. Having done so, tie them into your coms."

"Eleanor?"

"You got it."

While he had been giving orders, Sousuke pulled off the A.S. helmet and started pulling a pair of cargo pants on over the A.S. suit. With the cargos in place he grabbed the body armor and settled it into place. Because they were going into a closed area, he didn't bother with his longer ranged weapons. Instead loading up on magazines for the handguns he was carrying. Kaname had loaded up on non-lethal bean-bag rounds for the Mossberg M800 shotgun she was carrying, settling a bandolier of rounds across her shoulder.

Once they were ready, they got back into the GTO and drove to the other side of the building. Sousuke drove right up to personnel door on the side of the warehouse. They both bailed and Eleanor moved of to find a secure position to watch.

When they were ready at the door, Sousuke tried calling the rest of the Team over the headset. "Any Team Possible member, Sagara, come in."

Ron's voice came through sounding tightly controlled, "Sagara, where are you?"

"Onsite, opposite where you made your entrance."

"Get in here. Wade's down. The bad guys are down too, but we need help covering 'em."

"Breaching the door in 15." Sousuke didn't bother with the lock pick Wade had given them. He merely held out his hand and Kaname passed him what looked like a can of 'Silly String'. He laid a crossing series of lines of the 'string' across the door with a large spot in the middle. Setting a detonator in the spot, he blew the door in place shattering it into dozens of pieces.

* * *

Earlier Wade followed Kim towards the rear of the building, one eye on the scanner in his hand, the other, per Sagara's training, on her hips have some idea of which way she would jump.

"_The hips never lie, Load-sensei. They are the center-of-gravity. An opponent's feet, shoulders, hands and head can all be used as a feint. They can be used to misdirect you as to the direction they will go. Keep a part of your attention on the hips. With practice and training, you can know what direction your enemy will move in."_

He was nervous, excited and scared witless. Falling through the vent had left him stunned. If it hadn't been for the training and practice, he probably would have fallen prey to that first response of a stress situation: To freeze. The eye is drawn to movement and the first instinct, pounded into the human psyche from pre-history is to freeze and assess whether to use 'Fight or Flight'. But all the training in the world doesn't replace the jitters inherent in your First Mission. But he had started to settle down as the adrenaline moderated its flow into his body.

When Kim stopped by the door to the rear of the building, she noted where the boy's eyes kept flickering to. Grinning she couldn't help but tease the boy a little. She whispered, "Wade, if Ayame finds out you keep looking at my butt, she gonna get jealous." She had known the boy for years, but his response surprised her.

"Kim, I have access to the entire internet, and even my filters can't keep out everything. Besides, I designed your battle-suit. I know what your butt looks like. Like Sagara said, 'The hips never lie'. And why would Ayame get jealous?"

"I think she's getting a little crush on you."

Even with his mocha coloring she could see the blush. "She is cute, but right now we need to get into the server room. I think it's across the hall on the other side of that door."

"Then let's get you in there."

* * *

Ron moved out towards the front of the building. When he reached the door to the offices, he paused, listening. Not hearing anything, except for a whirring, grinding sound that pitched up and down, he carefully opened the door a fraction, just enough to slip a small mirror to look around the back side of the door. No one was in the room itself, but he saw movement through a door on the other side of the room,

He slipped through and silently blindsided the men in one room shredding reams of paperwork in a commercial grade shredder. The three men didn't have so much as a chance to grunt, let alone sound a warning. Using more of the zip cuffs Wade had provided, he secured the goons like the ones in the main part of the warehouse. One twist, he hogtied these guys since they weren't hurt as bad as the others. Once he had them secured, he ghosted out of the room in search of more targets. One in particular!

He moved down the hall towards the front, catching the rest of the men unawares, knocking them out and dragging them back to the shredding room where he used the bundle of zip-cuffs to secure them to anything and everything. Shelves, chairs, the desk, each other, whatever came to his imagination. And Ronald Stoppable had a vivid imagination.

While he went through this practical application of 'takedown' with the enemy agents, he heard Kim and Wade through the headset as they handled their side of the building. He smiled when he heard Kim teasing Wade and almost cracked up at Wade's response.

He had almost finished his sweep of the front of the building when he heard a grunt and what sounded like a hammer hitting a log. Wondering what was going on he got ready to move towards the rear of the building. Then he heard a furious sounding Kim in his ear. _"Let him go, Du!"_

Then the came the sounds of gunshots.

BANG!

BANG, BANG, BANG!

Then a few seconds later, over the headset, came a sound of horror. "WAADEEEE!"

Ron took off running to the rear of the building, knowing something terrible had just happened.

* * *

Kim led the way across the hall towards the server room. The door was open and they heard the men inside confirming that this or that set of files were deleted as they worked.

She held up one of Wade's 'Goonades' with a question on her face. Wade shook his head and held up the palmtop, shrugging his shoulders. He didn't know what the 'Goonade' would do to the computers in the room.

Wasting no time, she put it back in the pouch and launched herself at the men in the room, Escrima sticks leading the way. In seconds the men were down and Wade was pulling zip-cuffs from a cargo pocket. After they were tied up, he started looking through the system.

"They have a shredder program running. It'll take me a few minutes to stop it. I'm gonna tie in and start copying the file incase there's a hidden program. This will take a little time."

"Will you be OK here for a few minutes? I wanna check the rest of the rooms."

"Yeah, go ahead. Be careful."

"Be right back."

She peeked out the door. The coast was clear and she headed down the hall.

* * *

The data was loaded already, and one or two more loads and the important physical items would be tied down in the hidden long-range escape hover-jet. Just one of the many things that both GJ and his Fuhrer had taught him, always have a way out.

It took a second to understand what made him pause. There was no talking, no orders, and no human sounds on the other side of the door. Carefully cracking the door he saw Team Possible's tech guru standing in front of the main terminal, with his fingers flying over the keyboard, cross loading data to the Kimmunicator plugged into a USB port.

He saw that Wade was wearing a significantly different outfit then the last time he saw him on a monitor. The body armor especially.

As he quietly slipped into the room, he thought, 'So the little _Schwarzie_ thinks his body armor and helmet would protect him 'eh. We'll see about that.' Du carefully aimed his shock watch at the young mans buttocks and fired. Wade grunted as he dropped like a sack of rice. His helmet saving him from a concussion as his head hit the edge of the workstation. Will walked over to the unconscious teen leaned down and unclipped his helmet.

Dragging Wade to his knees by the carry handle on the back of the armor, Du pulled his pistol, aimed it at the base of the teen's skull and said, "Leb wohl, sie kleine Scheiße!" (Farewell, you little shit)

* * *

Kim had heard Wade grunt and a 'thunk' through the headset. She and Ron had been on so many missions together, she knew every sound Ron could or would make. And that grunt wasn't Ron. She headed back to the server room at a run, calling Wade's name over the coms.

Kim skidded into the room where she had left Wade. She saw that Du had drug Wade onto his knees, left hand holding the handle on the IBA, right pulling a handgun from an issue hip holster, preparing to shoot the unconscious boy, execution style.

"Let him go, Du!"

The man might have been a traitorous, arrogant, pompous ass. But his reputation as one of the best technical Global Justice agents was well earned. Almost like a striking snake, he twisted, bringing the handgun to bear, firing towards the sound interrupting him, screaming in frustration.

For Kim it was all reflex. After days and weeks of training in the shoot house, hours spent on the firing range and in the AS simulators, Kim didn't even think. This wasn't Will Du in front of her. It wasn't even a human being. Just another synthodrone, another target. One that needed servicing.

As soon as the pistol started coming around, she dove to the side and rolled to a knee, dropping the Escrima sticks as she went, training telling her, first she would never be able to close to hand-to-hand range fast enough and she could gather them up later if needed. In one motion, she came up, drew the Ruger from the cross draw holster, left hand cupping the right, sights settling on the target and, like a machine, squeezed the trigger three times, servicing the target.

The first two rounds splatted against the front of the armor the traitorous agent was wearing. Even though the armor stopped the bullets, they would have still hurt; leaving bruises the size of grapefruits. That is except for the third round. It entered the through the targets mouth, passing through the soft tissue at the back of the throat. Tumbling, it impacted the spinal column severing it. Then it changed direction upwards into the cranial cavity, rebounding inside the skull. Instantly all action in the body of the target ceased; dead before it hit the ground.

Her mind was racing a thousand miles an hour. 'I just killed a man. But he had a gun to the back of Wade's head. Wade's hurt! How bad? Don't know! I just killed a man! Wade's hurt! How bad? Oh GOD, what do I do? Focus Possible! Wade's down! HELP WADE! MOVE POSSIBLE!'

"WAAAAAADE!"

She focused on the one thing that in her mind was stable just then. Everything else would wait. Helping her friend, her teammate. She ran to his side, taking his pulse, hands trembling. At first she couldn't find the pulse for the shaking, but CPR training finally kicked in. Wade's heartbeat was strong and steady. Drawing a penlight from her First Aid kit, she checked for pupillary reaction, both eyes reacted fine. Wade was even showing signs of regaining consciousness, groaning a little.

"KAAAAYYPEEEE!" The door to the warehouse was torn off the hinges and tossed aside like a Frisbee. Ron was standing in the now open doorway, blue aura in full effect, holding the Lotus Blade in its Katana form.

* * *

Ron closed the textbook to his 'History of Western Civilization' class and rubbed his tired eyes. While the class wasn't easy, he did enjoy it. A part of it was the instructor, who regularly allowed free flowing discussions about the lessons. It was also a class he shared with Sagara, which was, indirectly, also a reason for his enjoyment.

Having utterly no preconceptions and very little tact, the young Japanese man seemed to take great pleasure in poking holes in the pet theories of the class's other students. One in particular: Howard Devon.

Ron thought Devon was going to have a gibbering fit when Sousuke _defended_ the Spanish Conquistadores. Devon seemed to have this idea of the "Noble Savage" and Sagara mentioning that Cortez with 500 men had defeating the Maya nation, numbering in the millions, while it may not have been justifiable, it was understandable, just didn't seem to fit in with that world view. Devon was of the mind that it was only the firearms carried by the Spaniards that allowed this feat.

Sousuke on the other hand brought up the fact that "Even if the Conquistadores had been using modern rifles and getting one shot, one kill, they couldn't have carried enough ammunition to kill all the warriors that the Maya could put in the field. They could have easily used mass wave attacks to over run the Conquistadores in one battle."

He then went on the mention the fact that "The Maya's had brutalized and terrorized their neighbors so badly that the tribes the Maya had conquered were more than willing to ally themselves with these strange new arrivals."

Then Sousuke turned the class on its ear by saying "Let's reverse the equation and bring the Mesoamericans to Europe as conquerors. After subjugating the populace, does anyone here really think they would not have continued their practice of human sacrifice?"

When Devon tried to lambaste the Spanish again with: "It was the Spanish that gave away blankets infected with smallpox to the locals to kill off vast numbers of the Native Americans."

Very calmly, but with a strange, knowing gleam in his eyes, Sousuke replied, "That is not quite true. In Sixteenth Century Europe, they had no idea of the disease vectors that were involved in bacteriological warfare. They didn't know how diseases were transmitted. The Christian Conquistadores were taught that such things were a 'Scourge and Plague from God'. They didn't even know enough to wash their hands to prevent disease transfer. There was a vague understanding that associating with either infected personnel or corpses killed by a disease could lead to catching the illness yourself."

Sousuke never raised his voice. "In fact, it was this that led to the first recorded uses of Weapons of Mass Destruction via bacteriological warfare by launching the bodies of plague victims with a catapult or trebuchet in to a city under siege." Devon had unknowingly broached a subject that Sousuke was very familiar with. After all, part of knowing how to fight WMD's is learning about the history of the same.

A few of the other students nearly had to tackle Devon when he lunged at Sousuke with blood in his eye before the instructor, shortly before releasing the class, agreed with Sousuke. It was a good thing the others grabbed Devon when they did because Ron saw Sagara palm a flash-bang when Devon started for him. Ron wished Sagara could have attended Middleton High with him. One thing was for sure, at least with Sagara, class was never boring.

He dropped his book into his pack and twisted, cracking his back to release the tension. Not that it helped a lot. When last he checked, Kim was still in her room. She was recovering from the shootout in the warehouse, but not fast enough for his liking. Maybe his Seven Layers of Heaven or Death by Chocolate dessert tonight would help.

The aftermath of the mission was both a blur and a nightmare.

Out of the twenty-six men in the warehouse, only one died. William Du. According to both the State Police and GJ, with all the weapons that had been fired, that was nothing short of a miracle.

That's not to say there weren't injuries. Every one of the men in the building had to be taken to the hospital for a variety of injuries ranging from severe bruising and concussions, mostly Kim's doing, to broken legs and shattered knees, mostly him.

It was hours before GJ was able to respond and in the meantime they had called for local and State law enforcement to assist in locking up the prisoners.

That was the blur. Then came the nightmare.

Once the prisoners had been taken to jail, the Team was escorted to the local police station where they were shown to the interrogation rooms and both State detectives and GJ Internal Affairs, who finally arrived, started taking statements from all the Team members involved.

The questioning had taken hours and they had kept asking the same questions over and over, twenty different ways. Ron nearly blew his stack a few times and it was only the hand on his arm that kept his temper in check.

Kim was currently on suspension with GJ but that was just standard procedure. The preliminary report, delivered that morning by both Betty Director and the State's Attorney, said that barring any forthcoming evidence, it was a righteous shooting. Kim had been faced with suspect in the process of killing someone, gun in hand and had no choice but to drop the suspect hard.

The physical evidence, Wade's tazering and Will's fingerprints on his gun, and the data, the recordings from their coms from the start of the mission to the arrival of local and State Police left no doubt. Now it was just a matter of crossing the T's and dotting the I's as far as the law was concerned.

Now came the hard part: Getting Kim through the trauma. She had spent the last two nights curled up to him in his room. After hearing what happened, not even James Possible begrudged her that. He had been awakened a few times to her crying and he just gathered her in and let her clutch him as the tears fell.

Of all the things Ron wished he could spare her, this was the biggest. He wished he had traded places with her, sending her to the front of the building instead. Strangely, not because he wished he could have been the one to kill the bastard. But because he'd been there before.

It was quieter in the office/study than it had been in a couple of weeks. Shunya couldn't put off his return to New York any longer and had to leave yesterday to be in his U.N. office this morning. Before he and his youngest daughter passed through the security section he pulled Sagara to the side. No one knew what was said, since Shunya had left and Sagara wasn't talking.

There was a moment of drama when Shunya looked around and Ayame was missing. She came flouncing back into view a moment later wearing a smug grin. She was trailed by a wide-eyed Wade. Kaname and, to a lesser extent, Kim teased him mercilessly trying to find out what happened. It couldn't have been too extreme because they weren't gone that long, but Wade had taken to locking himself in the lab to get away from the girls.

Rubbing his hands across his face, he stood and headed to the kitchen when an alarm suddenly went off. It was the steady tone of a security breach in the building. Snatching his Kimmunicator from his pocket Ron hit the call button, saying, "Go Wade." He looked up to see Kim running into the living room talking to the one on her wrist. Even what happened two days ago wasn't enough to keep her from reacting to an alert.

On the screen he saw Wade hammering at his keyboards looking, not at the camera, but at other screens. "Sensors picked up someone scaling the south wall. You should be able to see 'em from the living room."

They looked out across the flat roof. It was devoid of anything, including the normal things like air conditioners or vents. That was a part of the design Sagara demanded when he set the building up. Nothing for an enemy to hide behind, and as long as they were careful, there was plenty of room to land with either a parachute or the jetpacks. All the air handling units were located in a room on the side of the garage.

A moment later, Sagara and Kaname came running up from the ground floor, pistols in hand.

"Anything out there?" Sousuke asked

Kim answered, "Nothing so far."

Sagara bolted to the sliding glass door and looked out. Not seeing anything, he looked back and said, "Cover me." Kaname took a position to watch his back as he crept out on the roof patio. Not seeing anyone on the garage roof, he aimed his pistol towards the apartment roof. When he started climbing the ladder on the side of the apartment that led to the roof, Kaname, Kim and Ron fanned out below, Kaname watching Sagara, Kim and Ron scanning across the top of the garage.

When he got to the top he peeked over. Nothing but a flat roof. Talking into his wrist Kimmunicator, "Load-sensei, there doesn't appear to be anyone here."

Ron looked across the roof. Something was making the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He said, "He's not up there, Dude! He's down here."

Kaname and Kim looked across the roof, not seeing anything as Sousuke leapt to the patio. They looked at Ron, his eyes slowly tracing across the roof. "We know you're there, you may as well come on out."

Nothing.

"Guys, inside." Ron raised his Kimmunicator, "Wade get ready to charge the roof grid." Like unfolding a sheet, a figure appeared. He was a little taller then Ron, garbed in an all black gi, with tabi on his feet and a mask on his head. Nothing of his features showing except an open swath across the eyes. They were a dark brown, almost a black. He was carrying two of the wooden practice swords, known as Bokken.

"K_on'nichiwa, gakusei."_(Hello/Good Day Student.)

"How's your English? Kim doesn't speak any Japanese and mine's only fair."

"My English is excellent."

Where had he heard that voice before? "You're the Sword master Sensei sent?"

"_Hai_." He lightly tossed one of the Bokken to Ron. "Defend yourself. No powers."

Ron _knew_ he knew that voice. "It's alright you guys, he's from Yamanouchi. Y'all wait here."

Kim laid a hand on his shoulder, "Ron?"

He gave her a grin, "It's alright, KP."

Ron brought the Bokken up into the best semblance of a ready position he could. "You know, you coulda rang the bell or called ahead or something."

"That would have given you time to prepare. The ninja is always ready. _Hajime!_ (Begin!)

And they started to dance. In seconds it was obvious that Ron was outmatched and the figure in black was playing with him. He kept landing blows everywhere. Not hard enough to seriously injure his student, but hard enough to hurt. A lot.

Ron struggled to keep up, unconsciously reverting to Bo techniques to defend himself. And got his butt handed to him for his trouble. The black garbed figure slid a strike straight through his defenses to land in the middle of his sternum, knocking the wind out of him. Then twirled to hit a nerve plexus on Ron's left thigh, causing the leg to fold on him, sending him to the ground. Before the others could act, even before Sagara could draw his Glock, the ninja brought the Bokken back around in a beheading strike, only to stop millimeters from Ron's throat. The only thing Ron could do was lie on the ground and wheeze.

The ninja's voice was cold and arrogant as he growled, "The next time you attempt to use outside techniques during training, you will hurt worse. Before you can meld an alloy, you must first create the pure substance. Once you have mastered _Kenjutsu_, The Art of the Sword, then you will be free to try and incorporate other teachings." Holding the Bokken where it was with his right, he reached into a fold of the Gi and removed a traditionally folded letter. He held out it to Ron, saying, "My… bona fides I believe you call them."

When Ron took the letter, he stepped back and Kim came running to see if Ron was OK as the others approached. Ron opened letter to see the calligraphic flowing script of Sensei Toshimaru Ishido telling him that he had personally handpicked the bearer of the letter to be his instructor in _Kenjutsu._ And part of his reasoning was the redemption of one of his students. You could imagine Ron's shock when the ninja removed his hood to reveal the face of Fukushima.

"It's been a long time, Outsider!"

* * *

The little man was in a towering fury. Not only had he lost his highest ranking inside agent. But the data, plans, blueprints and devices that were nearly in his hands were still locked inside the bowels of Global Justice. And the worst part was, according to what information he could get, it was all due to Possible and the Untermensch. Again!

He felt the information reliable because it came from a source inside Global Justice's rival: World Wide Evil Empire and that fool Gemini. A source he had ordered to stay low-key to avoid the fate of Gemini's better personnel. If the idiot would ever stop _disposing_ of his best, most capable people, WWEE would actually be dangerous.

This was a lesson he had taken to heart from Stalin. The Dummkopf had routinely purged his armed forces and civil authorities of anyone even remotely capable of possibly challenging him. The only problem with that was it also deprived him of people who could act intelligently without oversight. Yes it was a risk to his personal authority, but it led to NO ONE being able to function without asking for orders or his opinion. And that meant EVERYTHING fell across his desk, leading to nothing getting done.

No, he would not make that mistake. He would allow his lieutenants to function. But with the understanding that if they went too far, they would pay, dearly. And it was working. Weeks ago he had given his orders. The delivery method for MelaninX was on schedule for the end of February and the agent was being produced and stockpiled.

Also one of his agents had found that fat cow Amy Hall, hiding out in Monkey Fist's abandoned manor in England. Like a good German Soldier, he didn't wait for orders, he acted. He gathered a platoon and captured the statue of Fist. Weeks before it was necessary to have it. All he had to do now was wait for the Winter Solstice to revive the man. He already had a candidate in mind. The fool had fumbled and botched instructions repeatedly. He had just enough intelligence to do what he was told but he was lack witted enough to have no idea of Dementor's plans for him.

Six weeks! Six weeks and he could send the Untermensch a present in the form of his own personal Arch-foe.

* * *

At thirty-three chapters and 200,000 plus words this story is looking like it is going to be nearly twice as long as I expected it to be. I figured it would be a most 125,000. But now things are starting to kick. There's the meeting with Monkey Fist, a plot that our heroes don't know they need to stop and a villain or two to deal with. All this and more to come in the next chapters of 'This Animal I Have Become.' Stick around, the plot's about to thicken. And as always, please, leave me a note. Even if you wanna flame.


	34. Pork Chop Express

Sentinel and CajunBear has come through again. Thanks Dudes!

* * *

Chapter 34 Pork Chop Express

Kim stood in front of a panel of what was, for all intents and purposes, a jury with the State's Attorney and the head of GJIA acting as the Judges. Betty Director had abstained as she felt she was a personal friend of the Agent in question. These were the investigators that reviewed the evidence of the fatal shooting by a carded law enforcement officer two and a half weeks prior.

"Corporal Possible, this panel has reviewed all of the data and evidence gathered in relation to the fatal shooting by you of former Agent William Du just over two weeks ago. Of particular interest to the panel were the data and audio recordings from the commo headsets of your Team.

"While a fatal shooting is a tragedy, this one was doubly so because the deceased proved himself to be a traitor and a mole, passing information to an as yet unidentified organization.

"Several Agencies, from GJ itself to the CIA and the FBI as well as Homeland Security and allied intelligence agencies would have rather been able to question the deceased to find out how badly he had us penetrated.

"The commo recordings revealed several things, some which were transmitted through Specialist Load's headset. The quiet, but identifiable sound of a GJ issue shock watch being fired followed by a sound that has been identified as a helmet hitting a desk. The locaters inside also showed that you were in another part of the building when this occurred and you running back to the room where you found former Agent Du preparing to execute your teammate.

"This panel therefore finds that you had no alternative but to act in the defense of your partner by the use of lethal force. You are hereby removed from suspension and returned to duty as a reserve Agent with the stipulation you continue to visit the trauma counselor regularly until you are cleared by him. Understood?

"Yes Sir."

"Corporal, I know you don't quite believe it yet, but it was not your fault. You were left with no choice being forced to pick between the lesser of evils. What happened that day was a tragedy, but it could have been much worse.

"An investigation as to the contents of the building in question revealed that former Agent Du had an escape vehicle loaded with plans and/or prototypes to several devices that in the wrong hands would spell disaster to the freedom of the world. Devices such as the Sonic Annihilator and the Mega Weather Generator or the Neutronilizer. Data on personnel, training and equipment of various world militaries and law enforcement agencies and their planned responses to a variety of possible threat scenarios.

"It was only the actions of you and your team that prevented this wealth of data and material from falling into the wrong hands. And for that, you have our thanks."

* * *

Shego entered the control room of the shoot house to see her soon-to-be-husband watching as Kim ran through a mission. "How long she been in there?"

"Two hours now."

"What's the scenario?"

"Different variations of a hostage taking."

Shego looked at him and asked, "Same thing that happened to Nerdlinger?"

"Basically."

"And the win/loss?"

"Ninety-seven percent."

Shego was shocked, "She's won that many!"

"No, she's lost that many. 38 to 1. The third run through, the computer decided that the target's gun had jammed."

"Ouch."

"Yes. And the computer says she's been getting worse in the last hour as she's tried wilder and wilder tactics. The computer figured out that killing the hostage before even trying to stop her has the best percentage and it's gone downhill from there. She's tried everything from negotiating or rushing the target to throwing her sticks and even a knife at it. But it always winds up as either she then the hostage is killed or the target kills the hostage before she can stop it."

Shego sighed, "She just doesn't wanna admit that she did the right thing the first time."

"Agreed."

A buzzer sounded indicating another loss for the 'Player'. "AAAGGGGGGGHHHHH! Again! Computer, reset and start on command." She sounded frantic. Nothing like the former villainess had ever heard her.

As the room reset itself, Shego watched as Kim placed herself just outside the 'room' and got set. Shego opened a drawer and pulled out a small 'simgun'. It wasn't really a lethal weapon as such, but it worked with the shoot house as a simulator. She slid it into the back of the loose pants she was wearing and pulled her shirt over it to hide it. Looking at Drakken she said, "Scram, I'll see you in a little while. I gotta go help Kimmie pull her head out of her 'forth point of contact'."

"Shego?" He really didn't want her going in the room and performing her usual acrobatics.

Don't worry, I'm not gonna do anything wild. Just make a point." She gave him a light kiss, turned him and gave him a push to the door. "Go on."

After he left, she waited a minute until the buzzer sounded again and entered the chamber. Kim had her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath. "That's pathetic!"

"Like you could do any damn better."

"Princess, I'm five months pregnant and I know I can do better. Watch. Computer, reset."

The computer beeped when the set was ready and Shego said "Go." Canned verbal threats started coming from the room. Shego kneeled and stuck her head around the door jamb for less then a second. Just enough to lock their positions in her mind. When she looked more threats issued, but no shots yet. She stood, reached behind her and pulled the 'simgun' as she twisted her body so her arm and head flashed into the doorway, pulling the trigger one time nailing the target through the head. The target dropped releasing the hostage and for the first time in hours the computer chimed a victory.

She looked at the younger woman and sadly said, "I win." Her face had not a trace of her usual smugness or hauteur.

"Damn it, that's cheating. No guns."

"How's it cheating? Look, Punkin, the hostage is safe, I'm alive and no one else got hurt."

Shego knew that her visibly pregnant belly was the only reason Kim didn't roundhouse her. She could see the fury in Kim's eyes. But underlying it was pain and fear. She knew Kim was in a bad place just then and barely breathed so as not to aggravate her worse.

A few moments passed as she watched Kim visibly get herself under control. Feeling it was safe for a few minutes, she said, "You know, Kimmie, after all the fights and Drew's whack plots you and I have been through, I never pegged you as a crazy person."

Kim would have thought the woman was joking except for the utterly serious look on her face. "Wha…what are you talking about?"

"It was something I heard a few years ago. I didn't really understand till I met Drew. Ya see, a lot of people think Drew's crazy, but he's not. He's whack and he's a mad scientist. But he's not crazy. Crazy is another word for insane. 'Doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result is a sure sign of insanity.' And while Drew has come up with a lot of whack ideas for taking over the world, they all had one thing in common. He never repeated himself."

"Ya didn't screw up that day, but you're screwing up now. You did the right thing then. Has anything else you've tried worked?"

"There has to be a way!"

"Look Kimmie, you're not Supergirl, you're only human, and you're not faster than a speeding bullet." She gently took Kim's wrist and tried to set the 'simgun' in her hand. "Maybe it's time to try something different."

Kim barely felt it as the previous sentences started perking through her brain. '…only human…faster than a speeding bullet…try something different. Only human? Something different?' An idea came to her. There was a way to get faster. A way to hopefully prevent the incident on that Saturday from happening again. She had to talk to Wade.

She muttered, "I gotta go." and ran for the door leaving Shego still holding the 'simgun'.

* * *

It was the transitions that were getting him. Ron stood in the Dojo holding a weighted Bokken in both hands, feet shoulder width apart, right foot slightly back. He brought the Bokken across from right to left. He was supposed to shift his grip to reverse the 'edge' and bring it back around the other way. But the shift was slow. It was always slow, at least according to his Sensei.

The moment he set eyes on the face of the Sword master Sensei had sent him he knew he was in for a hard way to go. It probably would have made him feel better if he had known that said Sword master had been of the same opinion from the moment the letter from Sensei came into his hand.

Fukushima prepared to admonish the Outsider….. No, he had to stop thinking of his _Gakusei_, his student in that manner. Sagara had made that plain. The slightly older young man had demonstrated that to him very effectively. After the first few times he had called his _Gakusei '_Outsider', Sagara had evidently taken offense on behalf of Ron and stepped in to correct the problem.

"Fukushima-sensei, I fail to understand why you use that term here. For several reasons. First, it is insulting. Secondly, we are no longer at Yamanouchi in Japan. And last, this is Stoppable-san's home. Insulting him here is dishonorable and very disrespectful. Under the 'Code of Bushido', either Stoppable-san or I could rightly challenge you to Mortal Combat for disrupting the 'Wa' of our home. If you continue to act in such a fashion, I will be forced to take up the challenge in Stoppable-san's stead."

"Like you could defeat me!"

Sousuke's eyes narrowed slightly, "Fukushima-_san_, I will take up that challenge. Give me a few moments to prepare." He turned and started gathering a set of the traditional armor used to prevent major injuries that could come from swinging a Bokken at full force. It didn't stop them all, by no means, as the heavy bruising to Ron's arms, shoulders, chest and thighs could attest. But it was fairly effective at stopping broken bones and concussions.

Fukushima smirked. He wasn't too worried about this fight. He remembered when Sagara had come to Yamanouchi the first time when they were Wade's age. He had even sparred with him a few times and he knew he was the better swordsman.

A few minutes later, they were wearing full armor pads and Sagara accepted the Bokken. He held it in one hand for a moment, bouncing it up and down then twirling it in a circle at his side. Fukushima slipped the mask over his head, slid his right foot back and brought his Bokken into the _en guard_ position.

Sousuke slid his facemask on, indicated he was ready and the two clashed in a frenzy of clacking wood. Sousuke wasn't using any recognizable sword technique. It seemed to be a mix of various weapons techniques that were used solely to place his weapon in a blocking position.

Sousuke wasn't able to block them all. Fukushima used a blindingly fast feint to slip a blow to Sousuke's left side that had him gasping for air. But unlike Fukushima, who had never been in a situation where he had to keep going or die, Sousuke stayed on his feet and kept coming.

The clacking of stout wood continued for another minute when Sousuke pivoted on his left foot, inside Fukushima's reach and dropped into a foot sweep causing Fukushima's feet to fly out from underneath him. Fukushima landed hard, knocking the wind out of him, but his trained reflexes rolled him out of the way of Sousuke's descending Bokken and onto his feet. Now he was seeing red. No one, outside of the instructors at Yamanouchi and certainly no one his own age had ever handled him in such a fashion.

He charged his opponent intending to hit him so hard he would knock the mask off his head. Sousuke accepted the charge and started a fighting retreat, guarding himself and husbanding his strength for a counter attack. Soon the opportunity came.

Fukushima's mistake was minor, almost infinitesimal, but he slightly overextended himself and Sagara pounced. He parried Fukushima's Bokken to the right and stepped inside Fukushima's reach again. Releasing his right hand from the Bokken, his hand came up and his grabbed the part of the mask the protected the throat and pulled. As he pulled, he twisted and brought his left leg inline tripping Fukushima nearly to the ground.

Sousuke continued the spin with the Bokken whistling around aimed at the unguarded, unarmored back of his opponent. At the last instant, Sousuke had to pull the strike that would have, at least, broken ribs and possibly the spine. Still the blow hit like a sledgehammer, knocking Fukushima the rest of the way to the _tatami_ mats. Striking like a rattlesnake, Sousuke planted his foot between the shoulder blades of his opponent and placed the tip of his Bokken at the base of his skull, just enough for him to feel it.

Sousuke stepped back and allowed Fukushima to rise, keeping his Bokken at the ready. Fukushima came up until he reached a knee and paused there. He tore of his mask, glaring at Sousuke. Barely able the breath, he wheezed, "That was not _Kenjutsu_."

Sousuke looked puzzled for a second before he said, "We were supposed to be using sword techniques? I remember no such stipulation. In Combat, there is no such thing as a fair fight. You fight to win. That is the overarching message in both _Sun Tzu's _'The Art of War' and _Musashi's_ 'The Book of the Five Rings'. I know that both of those text's are required reading at Yamanouchi. Victory is the outcome that all the Martial Arts taught there are supposed to lead to."

"Victory is achieved. Honor is satisfied. The stain of your action has been cleansed. See that you do not allow it to become stained again."

* * *

He knew how he had gotten in this mess and he knew how to get out. Didn't mean he had to like it. Being sheltered by the mountains surrounding Yamanouchi had led to an insular view of the world; one that harkened back to the Edo period where if you weren't _Nihon ga_, Japanese, then you were _gaijin. _If he had used that term four years ago, several of the students, most of the instructors and Sensei himself would have pounded him. He knew that then and it was why he used the English word 'Outsider' when referring to the Chosen One.

He didn't like it, but Sagara was right about one thing. Trying to insult the American by calling him 'Outsider' in both his country and his own home was wrong. Here, he was the _Gaijin,_ the 'Outsider'. Had he acted that way back in Japan in a more traditionally minded home, the Head of the House could have called for his blood. A guest in Japan could get away with a lot, but knowingly and directly insulting the host wasn't on the list of forgivable offenses. A misunderstanding was one thing. Deliberate action was something else.

He watched as Ron seemed to pause for an instant at each transition. "_Iye, Gakusei. _In _Kenjutsu,_ the movements are supposed to flow from one to the next without pause smoothly, never allowing the blade to come to a complete rest unless you intend it to. The _Katana_ is not like most swords of the West that rely on mass for their power. The amount of steel in an English long-sword would make two _Katana_ and the larger Bastard and two handed swords three. Because the _Katana_ lacks this mass, they require different techniques to be effective. By keeping the blade moving, you keep the speed, momentum and energy to allow for more powerful strikes."

"It is this that you must learn. What I want you to do is concentrate on technique. Forget speed and power. We will work on those as a later time. For now, go through the movements slowly. Repeat them until you can do them without thought. _Hajime!_"

This was going to take a while.

* * *

Tessa looked over the pages in front of her wondering how she should feel. On the one hand they showed a serious upgrade to one of the systems that would help keep the Soldiers under her command alive.

On the other, they represented the fact that two of the few friends she had her own age her own age were thousands of miles away. That wasn't taking into the consideration that one of those friends was the crush she still carried a torch for. The young man with the scar on his left cheek, Staff Sergeant Sousuke Sagara.

Her adjutants, Commander Richard Mardukus and Lieutenant Commander Andrei Kalinin were reading their copies of the proposal report as well. The Mithral Counsel and High Command had forwarded copies of the proposal to the Senior Field Commanders for opinions before approving it. It was the Englishman who broke the studious silence.

"Impressive, very impressive! It seems that Miss Chidori is putting her time in America to good effect. I admit I would have never thought of using RATO's like this. (Rocket Assisted Take Off) The technology is out of the 1960's. It's practically prehistoric."

Kalinin added, "I agree. However there's no denying the fact this will alleviate one of the major drawbacks to the AS flight packs. Recovery has always been an issue with them. By increasing the fuel capacity, we can now have the units cache the flight packs, perform their mission, recover the packs and return without having to risk our helicopter units."

Tessa looked up and said, "To me that's not the best part of the design. Page five. According to the calculations, only one of the four rockets is needed to assist an M9 in a takeoff. That leaves the other three for other 'uses'.

"When used in flight, they each add a burst of power that is three hundred percent above the output of the pack itself. It's only twenty seconds. But for those twenty seconds, an M9 can nearly equal the speed of a fighter jet.

"One scenario they used is, a catapulted assisted takeoff from the flight deck, close to the target area, fire one for a quicker insertion, land, perform the mission, recover the packs, one for takeoff assist, one for the withdrawal and one in reserve."

"They also give us the ability to have the units land, perform a mission, takeoff and repeat the procedure as many as four times. We would only have to preposition fuel, ammunition and supplies to resupply the deployed units. And since the RATO units are modular, we can even resupply those as well.

Kalinin had flipped to the referenced page and looked over the specifications listed there. "The strategic and tactical implications of this design are staggering. Ma'am, this isn't an upgrade to our existing equipment. This is becoming an entirely new system. Air to air engagement systems, air to ground and vice versa….."

"I see you noticed the proposed next generation."

"No lifting surfaces? How do they intend to keep the AS in the air, magic?"

Tessa answered "No. If their carrying this in the direction I think they are….the Lambda Driver."

Mardukus asked, "The Lambda Driver? Is that possible?'

"Dr. Load is already supervising the modifications to the ARX7, shifting the cooling vanes from a horizontal to a vertical aspect. This will increase the aerodynamics with no loss to their effectiveness. Apparently shifting them also increases stability and control. The only remaining parts of the wings are going to be dedicated to weapons hard points.

'By removing most of the wings, the engine size and power can be increased by two hundred percent with no additional size or weight to the pack. And since the Driver uses planes of force to interact with the physical environment, it can simulate an infinite number of lifting surfaces. It can shift from a low wing loading, fuel efficient style like an A-10 to a high speed, low drag interceptor type like an F-16 with a thought and throttle increase."

The two men looked at each other and the Senior Officer asked, "Madam Captain, will Sergeant Sagara be able to do this? This would be a lot to ask of a seasoned test pilot, let alone someone with as little experience with new flight systems such as the Sergeant."

Tessa didn't get as offended as she used to. It had taken time, but she had seen underneath the veneer of the stiff English Officer. Before, she would have taken his remarks as criticism of Sousuke. Now she saw that part of his question was concern for a subordinate who used to be under his Command. Still.

"Commander, there is no one…" She trailed off for a second. "With the exception of Leonard Testarossa, who has as much experience with the Lambda Driver as Sergeant Sagara? He might not be able to design and build one, but I don't think you'll find anyone that knows the capabilities of the system better than he does. Agreed?"

"Agreed, Madam Captain."

Kalinin closed his copy of the report. He noticed the other names on the front of the cover and said. "I don't recognize the other two names on the report. Dr. Wade Load and a Mr. Ronald Stoppable. A shame, these men are geniuses!"

Mardukus shook his head, "I don't know about Dr. Load, but calling Ronald Stoppable a genius is a…..misnomer." When he saw the other man looking at him, he continued. "The young man in question isn't stupid, but he is…distractible, let's say."

Tessa giggled while Kalinin looked from one to the other. Mardukus explained, "He was one of the members who came with Sergeant Sagara to escort LT Wiseman home. While he was here the only time he seemed focused was during the departure ceremony. Beyond that…."

Tessa broke in giggling harder saying, "I spoke to Kaname two weeks ago and she told me why they decided to try this. Mr. Stoppable was the one that came up with the ideas and suggested the uses for it. That's why they included his name on the proposal report. She was in the hangar at the GJ base with Sousuke and Team Possible…."

* * *

Kim, Ron, Wade and Kaname were standing to the side of a long rail that led into a tunnel. Looking up the tunnel they could see a small patch of sky at the end. They were currently inside the GJ hangar waiting for Sousuke to show up. He had gone to the locker room to change into his AS suit. They talked amongst themselves for the few minutes it took before Sagara returned.

When he did Ron asked the question that had been on his mind since that morning. "So what are we here for again, dude?"

"GJ has recently finished the electromagnetic rail launching system for the ARX7. Now I will not have to scale the mountain side and BASE jump to get airborne. All the tests have shown the system is functional. The only remaining test is live firing the ARX7."

"OH, so this is like the way they launch planes off of a carrier."

"Precisely. The flight pack for the AS does not have the ability to get the unit into the air from a standing start like the ones Load-sensei developed for you and Possible-san. It lacks the thrust-to-weight ratio"

"Wait a minute. Electromagnetic rail? Aren't those used for like KEW's and stuff?"

Kim just looked at her man. He never failed to surprise her, but she still had to ask. "Ron, how do you know about KEW'S?"

"Kinetic Energy Weapons? Saw it on a Science Fiction movie. Those are like a nuke without the atom. If ya have a Rail-gun in space and you can pound a ground target by hitting it with a piece of metal going God only knows how fast. If it's fast enough, you can level a city with a fifty pound bullet."

Then Ron looked at the ARX7 standing nearby, looked at the rail, the end of the tunnel, the ARX7, the rail. Kim knew that look. It was the same look Ron got on his face just before he start spouting about self activating laser and "Spinning Tops Of Doom" to Senor Senior, Senior. She kept her mouth shut. He had had a lot of good ideas in the past few months, and as long as he wasn't jabbering to a villain….

"Dude! You know what you need! You need one of those RATO packs, man! I saw this piece they did on those things on the Knowing Channel. You know what I'm talking about! They used to use them during the Vietnam War to get the C-130's off the ground when they didn't have enough runway. I bet that would get you in the air without having to be an electromagnetic bullet."

Wade pulled his ever present palmtop and started tapping. After a few quick figures he said, "Ron, that's not a bad idea! According to the thrust figures though, you would only need one of the four rockets in the pack to get airborne."

"So, leave them all there. Save 'em for something else. OOO, I bet you could even fire it while you're in the air. Like an afterburner, ya know? Ya wanna get in fast, ya hit the burner, RRRRRRRoooaallll, land take out the bad guys, BOOOM, and take off and then hit the burner again and ZOOOOM, you're gone before they even knew you were there! Maybe even takeoff more then once. The bad guys are chasing ya and ya land to hide out and take off again when they're looking the other way."

Kaname was stunned. She was stunned because she was seeing a sight she rarely saw: a stunned Sousuke Sagara. Meanwhile Ron kept going. As soon as Ron started jabbering Wade hit the recording function on his palmtop. He wasn't about to miss a good idea.

"If your peeps have your back they could be sending ya supply packs, like in Zombie Mayhem, ya know like how you're running around trying to pick up med packs or ammo! Hey, how bout putting on some air to air missiles or maybe a few Rockeyes to hit tanks on the ground. That would be Coolio!"

Ron paused in the middle of his monologue looking at the ARX7. "Dude, why do you to have wings on the flight pack? Can't ya use the Lambda Driver thingy to make 'em?"

Even the AI was surprised by the ideas coming from the blonde haired young man. Without waiting for Sousuke a say anything, the basso voice of the AI for the mecha said, "Calculating….Calculating…..Calculating. Assessment, it might be possible to use the Lambda Driver in such a fashion. Sergeant, this is a fascinating proposal. By removing the wings, the rest of the volume could be re-dedicated other functions such as increasing engine size and power or fuel capacity. Even the addition of some of the additional munitions mentioned would be possible."

The conversation would have continued, but the PA system called for Sousuke to board the ARX7 and prepare for launch. The launch system was different then the one on the De Danann. Whereas, the boat had unlimited overhead and more lateral space, the launch system for the base had to be carved out of the center of a solid granite mountain. Instead of standing, the mecha lay prone, as if it was already in the flight position and was thrown up the twenty-two and a half degree tunnel head first.

It was cut just wide enough for the wings and tall enough to allow a little clearance for the accelerating AS. The hardest part of building the system was at the far end. Where the Da Danann used a carriage for the AS to stand on, it was launched with the AS only to sink to the bottom of the sea. It was a cheap and expendable alternative to having the massive deceleration section at the end of the launch rail.

GJ didn't have the luxury of throwing expendable chunks of material downrange weighing a couple of hundred pounds. Unlike at sea, there might be someone under it when it landed.

Sousuke settled himself into the seat and pulled the harness into place. After a quick check of all systems he settled the AS onto the carriage where it activated electromagnetic clamp to hold the AS until it reached the end of the tunnel.

Having to hang face down wasn't that comfortable, but he had done it before during transport by helicopter. When the system had him secure and ready for takeoff, he reached up and pulled down a new safety device developed for this method of launching. The normal method meant his head was facing the direction of travel during takeoff. This one meant that the G Forces followed his spine. There was no way he could hold his head in place during takeoff and he could easily get hurt so a harness was installed to support his head until he was airborne.

With the harness fastened, he signaled his readiness to ground control. Radar showed clear skies and launch procedures started. Outside, the rest of the Team watched as they heard the flight pack engines spool up as the thrust apertures narrowed to increase thrust to maximum. While the engines spooled up, a rising, whistling whine was heard coming from the rail system. When both the engines and rail reached their peaks the rail was released with a BOOOOOM and the huge mecha was tossed down the tunnel almost faster then their eyes could follow. One second it was there, the next it was a third of the way up the three hundred meter tunnel and accelerating. Four seconds after launch it was gone.

The first words anybody could say was Kim, who in an awed voice said, "I have gotta try that!"

* * *

After hearing how the proposal in front of them had come about, Kalinin muttered, "I think we need to put this 'Mr. Stoppable' on our payroll. If Amalgam ever gets their hands on him it could spell disaster for Mithral in very short order."

* * *

After leaving the shoot house, Kim had gone in search of Wade, starting her search in the lab. When she entered the lab appeared deserted, only the Bonta-kun standing in the middle of the work area.

"Wade?"

"Yeah Kim."

She looked around, not seeing where the voice had come from. "Wade?"

"Just a second, Kim." The back of the mini-mecha split open and Wade pulled himself over the back of the pilots' seat. Landing on the floor he addressed the AI, "BK1, continue self-tests and diagnostics. Prepare result report when completed and stand-by for further orders."

"Ack-now-led-ged Doc-tor Load."

The voice that answered sounded very mechanical, not at all like the voices of the other AI's Kim knew about. She looked at Wade with raised eyebrow and a question in her eye. He said, "The AI has to use the speech protocols for a while before it can start to sound better. Should take about a week or so. What can I do for ya, Kim?"

"Wade, how long would it take to make a battle suit for everybody on the team?

"Well, let's see, it took six months to make yours, not counting some of the R&D work. Now that I know what works and what doesn't I think I can cut that in half, maybe more. Working on more then one at a time will reduce overall production time. Say four to six months. Why?"

"Can you crunch some numbers for me?"

He walked over to one of the stations and sat down, "Alright, what do ya got?"

She closed her eyes and her breath hitched as she asked, "What are the odds that if I had been wearing the battle suit, I could have stopped Du without having to shoot him?"

Wade silently looked at her for a second, turned to his keyboard and mouse and pulled up all the reports relating to the incident. He added calculations as how much the suit increased the wearers reactions, factored in the acceleration and top speed of the suit, shield capabilities, considered possible actions Du could have taken and came back with an answer. It wasn't everything Kim wanted to hear.

"Well, he couldn't have hurt you and you could have captured him without hurting him." Wade shivered, "But if he had decided to pull the trigger on me first, there would've been nothing else you could've done."

"How about if you had a suit? Could he have gotten to you?"

Wade snorted, "With those piddly little shock watches that GJ uses, not in a hundred years. After Synthodrone 901 knocked you out, I upgraded the shock protection in the suit so much even Sagara's Tazer wouldn't work."

"Well that's something. I'll clear it with Ron, but I want you to start putting together a suit for everybody. We'll go without them for now but I wanna get everybody protected as soon as we can."

"The hard part will be having the suits shield system not blowing off anything you might be wearing or carrying. I'll have to redesign a lot of the suit and upgrade the sensor and computer interfaces." He turned back to the computer and opened the files on the battle suit. "Let's see. Add an armor under layer to replace the IBA'a, adding modular webbing for carrying ordinance, custom holsters for weapons. This is going to take at least six months, Kim. But that's not going to be problem. The problem will be Ron."

"Ron? Why would Ron be a problem? He's wanted his own suit since the night of the Diablo's."

"Oh Ron would wear it. Kim I haven't mentioned it 'cause you haven't asked, but there's something about Ron that fries electronics."

"What?"

"His locater chip got toasted during your Graduation, I slipped him another one and it got fried when he went to Senior's place, same thing happened at Gemini's lair. Every time he uses his MMP, he fries electronics."

"But nothing happened to his headset."

Wade went to a file cabinet, opened a drawer and pulled out one of the headsets he had developed for the team. Handing it to her he asked, "What do you notice about this thing?"

She looked it over, nothing jumping out to her and he said, "Everywhere the headset might come into contact is insulated. Same thing with his Kimmunicator. It's the same size as your old handheld, but the internals are smaller. There's more insulation to protect the electronics making up the difference. I can't do that with the suits. There has to be skin contact in order for the suit work."

She really didn't like it, but she knew it was the best she was going to get. "I'll talk to Ron, but go ahead start setting it up."

* * *

The call had come in that there was a town about to be wiped out by a failing dam and the word had gone out for any and all assistance. So the Duck was loaded on a lowboy with a State Police car leading the way and the Sloth flying along side. They were all pacing the lowboy, while, in the cab, the owner/operator was driving hell-bent-for-leather.

Team Possible quickly laid out a plan, working with the Rescue teams. Team Possible would handle the smaller ones, while the Rescue teams, assisted by a Blackhawk Company from the Air National Guard, would concentrate on the larger groups.

Ron and Kaname in the Sloth would collect people and ferry them to either higher ground or out of the danger zone depending on the locations, while Sagara, Kim and Wade, using the larger transport capacity of the Duck, would gather the flood victims from the collection points.

In the cab of the truck the driver said in a gruff voice, "Don't worry Miss Possible. The ole 'Pork Chop Express' will get ya there soon."

Kim was still a little downbeat, but gave her usual quip, "We wanna thank you for the ride, Mr. Burton"

The driver answered, "No problem, least I could do after your boyfriend helped me get that troll off my truck. I gotta ya tell though, I seen a lotta weird shit; Everything from a dude with lighting coming from his hands to flying Chinese assassins and a two thousand year old dead Chinaman trying to come back from the grave. But that sword of his takes the cake!"

Wade just shook his head, remembering writing up that log entry. Sagara, head turning like it was on a swivel, just stared at Kim and asked, "Troll?"

Kim just shrugged, saying, "No big. That's just one of the reasons Ron carries a magic sword."

Sousuke asked again, "Troll?"

The driver, Jack Burton answered, "Yea, a troll! It was an unwanted souvenir I picked up after I helped some friends of mine back in San Francisco's Chinatown. Ugliest damn thing ya ever saw. Anyway, it hid under the frame until I stopped to fuel up and get some grub at a truck stop close to Middleton. I parked the truck and got out. I turned around and ducked just as it took a swipe at my head."

"Sir, at that range you're lucky to have avoided the strike."

"It's all in the reflexes. So I shucked the pistol I was carrying, but the sucker shrugged off the 9mil rounds I was using like rain off a roof. Somebody saw what going and, sensibly, instead of calling the cops 'cause cops got better things to do then get killed, hit them up. Only reason I didn't get kilt was that I was able to outrun it. Next thing I know, they showed up and her boyfriend barreled into the troll with this weird assed sword. After a couple a swipes the troll ran back to the truck. I guess it thought since the truck got it there, it could get it home. Who knows?"

He glared a Kim a bit and said, "Did you know trolls blood eats paint. It was weeks before I got Pork Chop's paint job fixed.

* * *

Wade was having more fun in the last four months then he had in the rest of his life. He was going on missions, he was getting to be in better shape than at any other point in his life, he had more things to play with and more room, equipment and funds to create things than ever before. Kaname had helped him get the Whispers under control, Kim had been teaching him self defense, he was around Ron more and that led to more ideas and Sagara had given him the confidence to begin to come out from under the cloud of his agoraphobia.

When Sagara had bought the Duck, it had been like no vehicle he had ever seen. And considering he had seen in the Sloth, seen Drakken and Ed's DoomVee, helped James Possible with the Kepler II and tracked Kim as she took her drivers test in SADIE that was saying something.

He tracked down a few of the mechanics that had worked on DWUK's through the years and gotten their input. Then he called Ed Lipsky. Between the two of them they had made some changes to the old military vehicle. Ed had to be talked out of overpowering the engine to the point the multi-ton truck would pull wheelies, but he had rebuilt the engine and transmissions to better than the original specs.

Wade had contacted a few experts in marine propulsion technology and replaced the original marine propeller drive with a more efficient, higher power azipod system. Before, the Duck would only go about six miles an hour in the water, and it took time and space to make a turn. It was only a few miles an hour faster; there was only so much you do with that hull design, but now it would turn inside its own radius.

At the pintle mount he added at satellite uplink and GPS receiver. At the passenger's position, he replaced part of the dash with a rugged, waterproof computer system that linked to the servers back at the lab. Working with Sagara and Ron, they had gone through the wiring and replaced every scrap of it with a better wiring harness and sealed anything that could be shorted.

After Sagara drove the Duck off of the lowboy, Kim and Wade climbed up into the amphibian. Wade took a position on the front cowling, hooking a lanyard to the safety harness he was wearing, to watch for obstacles and Sagara turned down the hill where the Rescue Units had up the command post and headed to the flooding town.

* * *

The dam up the valley from the town wasn't one of the massive concrete and steel hydroelectric constructions more common in more mountainous regions. Where those were three, four or even seven hundred feet high, this one was less then 100 feet high, but it was a mile long.

The lake had been created by expanding a smaller lake with the use of several saddle dams upstream and the building of the main dam across the outlet. Its purpose had been as a reservoir for flood prevention and summer irrigation. It also doubled as an area recreation center providing water skiing, boating and fishing on a lake that was 75 miles long, an overall average width of two miles and an average depth of sixty feet. It was a lot of water to be held in place by four million cubic yards of earth, stone and concrete.

The problem had two parts. First there was the warm spell that melted a lot of the snow in the lower areas upriver. At the higher elevations winter still held its grip. But below that the ground was nearly clear of the white stuff.

Second was that a small, nearly unnoticed and un-remarked tremor had shaken the composite dam causing a series of faults and cracks in the dam centering above the original riverbed, letting the water flow under and through the dam, rather than flowing over the top of the spillways, washing out the base of the dam.

When the runoff from the melting snow hit the weakened dam it was too late. By the time anyone realized that there was a problem the dam had partially collapsed, flooding the town that had been there a hundred years before the dam was even considered.

The first indications that there had been a problem with the dam had been when the local Sheriff had driven past it about 10:30 the night before looking for teenagers in the backseats of their parents' cars and noticed that the large creek at the base was starting to overrun its banks. Not an unknown occurrence. The next sign was early that morning when the town's residents were awakened to water rising into their homes.

The overflow had turned the streets into 4 to 6 foot deep fast flowing streams in most places. There were small hills dotting the township, but most were less then 50-60 feet high. Far enough to get out of the way of the rising water. Unless, as the Corp of Engineers feared, the whole dam gave way. The water was flowing so strongly that boats had a hard time working their way upstream into the flow. This was one of the reasons Team Possible had been called. The Duck was amphibious, but it was big enough that it could drive along where a boat had a hard time moving. It was also stable when stopped as long as it wasn't floating, making it a lot easier to hold in place to collect refugees.

In the distance, they could see the dam, a stream of water almost 20 feet across spewing from the base, thirty-five feet into the air washing out more and more of the dam's foundation. There was no stopping it from collapsing. It was just a matter of when.

And when it happened, over two hundred and fifty billion cubic feet and over one billion tons of water would come driving down the valley flattening anything in its way like a steamroller over hot asphalt. It would flow up and over the hillocks and high spots like rocks and pebbles in a stream. The wall of water would crush everything in its path for ten miles downstream before the ground opened back out, letting the water level drop and subside.


	35. News Worthy

Thanks to my Betas Sentinel and CajunBear. This chapter was starting to get out of control until I decided to split it up.

Chapter 35 News Worthy

* * *

The Bell 206B helicopter strafed over the top of the dam. Hanging from the side of the chopper was the shielded ball of a steadi-cam, while inside, a reporter would look into the lens of another camera. Both feeds were being sent back to the Station's News Producer to sort through as the Anchorman introduced the situation.

"Welcome to WXRY's 'News at Noon'. In our top story today: Last night, without warning, the citizens of the small town of Hamilton have found themselves in the same situation as the residents of New Orleans a few years ago when Hurricane Katrina slammed into the coastal town. Rising floodwaters have forced the populace to abandon their homes and the Governor to declare a 'State of Emergency'. We now take you live to our 'Eye in the Sky Reporter' Edward Gilleye."

The picture faded from the anchor desk to a split screen. One half showed the field reporter wearing a David-Clarke headset, the other a series of scenes of a peaceful lake.

"Thanks Paul. This is Tate Lake, just outside the town of Hamilton, last summer. It was built mostly as a flood prevention measure under Franklin Roosevelt's Administration to bring jobs and commerce to this region during the Great Depression. Collins Dam and Tate Lake is almost unknown when compared to its larger cousin Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, but it has stood here for the last 70 years bringing tourist, hikers, fisherman and boaters to the area. It has been the lifeblood of this small recreational town since the Great Depression. Now it looks like it is going to be the death knell of that same town it has guarded for 70-plus years."

In the helicopter, the pilot flew back for another pass around the center of the collapsing dam, the steadi-cam showing a series of cracks rising through the center of the dam, a huge column of water shooting fifty feet into the air.

"Here are the facts as we know them so far. Over the last few weeks, unseasonably warm temperatures have melted an unprecedented amount of the snow causing much higher than normal water levels. Now this is not an unusual occurrence; it happens every spring and the designers planned for this by leaving more than thirty feet of clearance between the lake's normal level and the top of the dam."

The pilot was an Army veteran trained at Fort Rucker, Alabama to fly Combat missions in both OH-58 Kiowa observers and UH-60 Blackhawk Medivacs. And since the OH-58 was the military version of the same bird, he had easily made the transition to the civilian Bell 206 flown by most news services. When the news channel requested entry into the flight area, the Corp of Engineers had made it plain that he was to stay well above the dam to avoid any risk of damage to his 'bird'. He didn't argue. The chopper circled the water column well above the danger level while the reporter kept up his monologue.

"What is unusual was the small earthquake that occurred last night. This Magnitude 3 quake wasn't even noticed by the residents. It didn't even rattle the windows of this small town that was first founded in the 1870's. Though as you can see, looking down at the top of the dam, it had a major effect on the future of the citizens of this rural hamlet. Within hours the streets of this peaceful sleeping town became creeks and streams where the water could reach 6 feet deep stranding dozens of families inside their homes."

"Hampering the rescue efforts is the speed in which this emergency came into being. There is also the issue of how fast the water is flowing through the town, as shown in this exclusive video." The view faded to show a small boat trying to maneuver to the side of a house. The pilot had to inch the boat to the side as the flow of water tried to push it back away from the house. Gilleye talked over the video. "Earlier we caught this dramatic footage of a very courageous rescue worker striving to save the family trapped inside their home by the rising floodwaters. I also want our viewers to remember that it is mid-November and the water temperatures are less than 55 degrees."

The video showed a man passing his children into the boat, one at a time, while the pilot fought the fast moving water. The father helped his wife into the boat and prepared to jump in. The pilot watching the man and his distance from the house didn't see the log that hit just as the man jumped pushing the boat out of the way. The man fell into the water and before the rescue worker could grab him, he was swept away.

The instant the man fell, although you couldn't hear him, you could see the pilot as he screamed what had to be "HOLD ON". The pilot turned the boat into the side of the house and fire-walled the throttle to get the stern away from the victim. At the same time the rescue worker, wearing his floatation and rescue gear, jumped after him.

If the water had been still or even just slower the man could have stood up. But it was moving so fast that within seconds he was thrashing trying to avoid drowning. The rescue worker caught up to him and helped hold his head above water, trusting his partner in the boat to save them both.

Back in the boat, the pilot turned downstream at full throttle, the boat coming up on plane in seconds. He powered past both men in the water and turned into the current, using the throttle to try and hold his position

He had the victim's wife throw a line over the side in front of the two men and prayed. When both men had a hold of the line, he reversed the engine and turned the stern away and used just enough power to hold the tension on the line as the group floated downstream. Pulling themselves hand-over-hand the two men reached the boat and were drug aboard by the victim's family. As soon as they were aboard, the pilot shoved the throttle to the stops and spun the boat on its axis, heading for the rescue center before either of the men succumbed to hypothermia. The view switched back to Gilleye as he hung over the side of the chopper the flooded town passing by underneath it.

"As you can see from this footage, no matter the outcome of this disaster, the residents of Hamilton are in for a rough time. To assist in the rescue efforts, Army Corp of Engineers and State officials have called for assistance from both the Air National Guard and the civilian Team Possible. We caught up to Team Possible leader, Kim Possible, a short while ago."

In his New York home, Shunya Chidori suddenly turned up the volume on his TV.

In Middleton, the Tweebs were channel surfing when they heard their sisters name.

"Hey, Mom, Dad…"  
"Kim's on the…"  
"news again. She's doing…"  
"something at that flood."

When the elder Possibles ran in to see what was on the news, Anne immediately called the Stoppables.

On the screen, Kim stood beside the lowboy as Sagara and Wade supervised the unloading of the Duck. Dressed in her normal purple striped black pants and short sleeved purple shirt that had additional long white sleeves dropping into her mission gloves, she fielded the rapid fire questions the reporter tried to toss at her. "Miss Possible, what's the plan of action for you and your team?"

"Our tech man has spoken with the Rescue teams and between them they decided that this equipment would be better in locations closer to the dam than the boats they've been using. It's amphibious and a lot heaver and taller than they are. That means we can drive right up to the houses in that area and get the people out. We also have a larger carrying capacity. We're not as fast as they are, but the plan is we gather the people and transfer them to either to high ground for waiting helicopters or bring them out ourselves."

"I'm sure most of our viewers have never seen a boat like this. What can you tell us about…"

Wade called, "KIM! We're ready to go!"

The reporter tried to ask another question, but she cut him off. "I'm sorry. We have to go."

"Miss Possible….." Kim ignored the reporter and ran to the stern of the Duck where she and Wade climbed aboard. As soon as they were over the side Sousuke turned the Duck down the side of the hill, heading for the rushing waters.

"Shortly after they headed into the raging floodwaters we caught this footage of Team Possible." He continued talking over the recorded video. "It clearly shows the teamwork of these young people in action."

"Here you see Team Possible's flying car, its pilot doing what they can to assist. We spoke to a senior Rescue official who said that weather conditions are making aerial rescues treacherous. Also the helicopters of the Air National Guard are not equipped with rescue equipment such as winches to raise the victims of this disaster. So the air units are to spot refugees and to try and get them some sort of life preservers until ground level assistance can arrive."

The distinctive image of the Sloth appeared just above the roof of a house. Ron wasn't as capable in the flight mode as Kim so he passed above the house as slowly as he dared. Kaname, hanging out the passenger side, dropped a bundle of life jackets to a family of seven that had taken refuge on the roof; too many to take in the Sloth anyway. But he circled until Sagara came driving/floating through the water to the side of the house.

"Once located, their position is radioed to either Rescue boats or Team Possible's amphibious vehicle, which we have since learned is a modified World War Two military transport most commonly called a 'Duck'. Where she got it or what modifications it has, we don't know at this time. However we will ask Miss Possible about it as soon as the current crisis has passed"

Wade had climbed back to the information center of the amphibian reading the sonar for underwater hazards while Kim replaced him on the cowling in the bow. Wade had Sagara drive around the house looking for the highest point.

"But apparently, as you can see here, this 'Duck' is able to drive through this fast flowing stream of water as easily as it drives on the road."

Sousuke came in from downstream until the bow nosed against the side of the house. Wade clambered over the windscreen and placed a special single pole ladder into a slot in the cowling. Kim grabbed a rope and horse collar and shimmied up the pole.

"Here Kim Possible is demonstrating her trademark bravery and agility, climbing to the roof of this house to help the family trapped by the rising floodwaters."

When she got to the roof, Wade pulled the ladder out and secured it again. Kim placed the collar around the man on the roof, who argued for a minute. He looked from her to his family and back again, before he let her lower him to the waiting Duck.

He had obviously wanted his wife and children to go first, but her reasoning soon became clear. Wade secured him to the Duck with a lanyard and had him assist in catching the children. Kim lowered the oldest first to help keep the younger ones under control after they were passed into the passenger area of the Duck.

Once the kids were down, Kim lowered their mother. Kim walked across to the opposite side of the roof, drew something from the holster she kept her grapple in and fired it into the roof. It was a steel stake with an eyelet through the top. Then she hooked a carabineer through the eyelet and passed a loop of rope through the carabineer. She rappelled into the Duck, hooked off to the waiting lanyard and pulled the rope out of the carabineer. Once everyone was aboard, Sousuke backed the Duck and turned into the flooded streets, heading to the next house where they repeated the operation.

The news agency edited out the only problem they faced: That of the news helicopter buzzing overhead trying to get closer shots. At one point, the reporter was almost ready to hang out the side of the chopper and interview one of the refugees.

That is until Kaname called Headquarters and reported in. Two minutes later, a National Guard Blackhawk Gunship showed up, squawking over the Guard Channel "You are interfering with rescue operations and risking the lives of both Rescue Workers and civilians. Return to your authorized altitude or face the consequences." They only had blue practice shots on the rails, not the white warshots, but the pilot of the news chopper smiled and kept that little factoid to himself. It worked wonders shutting up the reporter in the back berating him to get closer and closer. He grinned, thinking about the look on the reporter face as he was 'driven off'.

"At the collection point, Kim Possible's mission partner and boyfriend, Don Toppable…." He reached up and held the earphones tighter to his head. "What, are you sure?…That can't be right….She said what?….. OK, OK, Ron Stoppable…are you sure that's right?...Ron Stoppable and an assistant have landed their car and are working directly with the Air National Guard to get these people to safety."

Once they had a full load, Sousuke followed Wade's directions to a hill, where Ron had landed the Sloth, and unloaded the refugees. There was two more Blackhawks orbiting overhead. As soon as the refugees were on solid ground Sousuke plunged the Duck back into the water heading to the next house. The helicopters came in to collect passengers and drop off more life vests while Ron and Kaname helped load the refugees into the helicopters. Once the refugees were away, Ron and Kaname tossed the vests into the back seat of the Sloth and took off again.

"As you can see, Team Possible is a well oiled machine. Hopefully they and the other rescue workers can get to the rest of the people here before the dam threatening the town gives way. According to the information given to us by the Corps of Engineers, it isn't a matter of 'if' it's going to happen, but a matter of when."

The view switched back to a shot of the column of water shooting from the base of the dam. Pieces of material, rock and concrete the size of motorcycles were being tossed thirty feet into the air by the stream of water. "As you can see from this live footage, the pressure of the water is forcing out more and more debris from the inside of the dam itself. Washing away the interior of the structure holding back millions of gallons of water from pouring onto the town below. The water in the lake is currently 15 feet above flood stage in the lake. That means it's nearly ninety feet deep at the dam itself. From what we've been told, depending on when the dam finally collapses, there could be a wall of water forty feet high crashing down into the valley."

"We will be standing by to bring you the latest news from this tragedy as it happens. This is your WXRY 'Eye in the Sky' Reporter Edward Gilleye reporting. Back to you Paul."

Once the feed was cut the pilot called over the ICS that they had to refuel and turned to the airbase 20 minutes away. They landed and, since it was just himself and the reporter, the pilot had the ground crew filled the JetRangers tanks to the limit. With basically no load the helicopter had no problem with the added weight of the fuel.

* * *

"Wade, how're we doing?" They had just dropped off another load for the National Guard Blackhawks to pick up and turned into the torrent again.

He pulled a list on the screen and said, "Not bad, Kim. The Sherriff says there should only be a few more houses to check. We got all the easy ones, now we have to get the houses closer to the river. Sagara, our route is on the heads-up display." Wade manipulated the controls, "We have to be careful around this area because it's close to the river itself. From the looks of things, we're gonna have to drive upstream and cross to the other side. The river's flowing pretty fast so instead of fighting it, we need to use the flow to get us on site."

"Roger."

Kim called Kaname in the Sloth, "Kaname, Wade is sending you the next locations." She glanced at the teen as he started tapping away. "You guys head over there and check things out.

"You got it. We're on our way."

When Sagara reached the river, even though the whole area was flooded, you could tell where the banks were. In the flooded areas the water was flowing over the top of countless underwater obstructions, everything from park benches and fire hydrants to cars wedged in between trees, making it choppy with eddies and swirls.

The water in the middle of the river seemed smoother flowing, but it was also a lot faster. Sagara engaged the azipods and carefully started across, nosing into the deeper waters of the river. Once fully afloat, he started across keeping the bow angled upstream to try and keep the amphibian on course. Aiming for directly across to the far bank was impossible, the rate the river was flowing was well above the Duck's top speed. But since Wade had brought them in well upstream of where they needed to be, as they drove across the river, they floated downstream to intersect with their landing point.

All the way across Wade called out course adjustments and watched the sonar for underwater hazards. Reaching the other bank, Wade directed them to a shallow slope. Sagara idled the azipods and engaged the road wheels and the Duck crawled its way out to merely flooded ground.

Overhead, Ron circled the homes in question. The first turned out to be a single story residence that appeared to be unoccupied. At least they hoped it was because the water was reaching three-quarters of the way up the front door. Either the residents had already escaped, they were trapped, or they were dead. The second was a two story home and had a family scrambling trying to get to the roof through an attic window.

Ron dove in and brought the Sloth around so Kaname could drop enough life preservers to the family. The man was furious that Ron wouldn't come any lower. He looked like he was about to start throwing his children up to the Sloth to get them to safety until Kaname pointed toward the oncoming Duck.

Above the Sloth, the X-ray news chopper returned to record the events. The reporter called in to the studio to break in live. His instincts were screaming at him that something was going to happen. It didn't take long for the studio to go live.

"This is Edward Gilleye coming to you live from Hamilton and Tate Lake. We just heard over the radio that the last of the refugees from this stricken town have been found. We are currently over Team Possible's position where they have moving to rescue the last of the people into their amphibian."

Both Teams stayed in contact, so Sagara stopped beside the single story home first. This time he passed control of the amphibian to Kim and climbed over the windscreen to the cowling in front. He hooked off to a rope and clambered onto the roof of the house, beating in the roof with a hammer, stopping and listening for a moment. Then he laid a line of something in a one meter circle, inserted a tiny cylinder with wires coming out of it.

Overhead the returning news chopper circled as most of the viewers were wondering what he was doing. They got the answer when he retreated over the ridge of the roof and set off the explosive, blowing a neat hole in the roof.

"Whoa! Apparently someone on Kim Possible's team has experience doing forced entries. What you just saw was a breaching charge. They're used to quickly open a way into a building for Troops to hit an enemy from a direction they don't expect. It's much faster than trying to cut your way in with an ax or a chainsaw."

Back on the roof, Sagara drew a flashlight and disappeared from view through the hole, the rope playing out behind him. He emerged a few minutes later, grim faced. Jumping to the cowling he waved Kim to go the next house.

Kim asked "Sagara?"

He just shook his head and said, "Go." Kim backed the Duck as Sagara returned to the front seat and retook control while Wade called in the cleared location.

The reporter zoomed in to see the grim expression Sousuke had. "Either there was no one in the home or they are apparently dead. The standing orders to leave the deceased behind while other victims are waiting to be rescued. Time, space and resources are to be saved for the living."

Since he was vastly more experienced with explosives, anytime they were needed, they had decided Sousuke was the one to use them. That was the reason he had been the one to go up this time. Inside he had knocked holes in the ceiling to look into each room of the home. The bodies of the elderly couple he had found floating in the flotsam of their bedroom wasn't pleasant. But he had a duty to the living. He could recover the bodies or he could use the space in the Duck for the living

The living can be saved, the dead can't.

Sagara maneuvered the Duck to the next house on the block. The water was deeper here. Driving up to the house the Duck was afloat as much as it was rolling. When they reached the next house, they repeated the process they established for the situation. Wade set the pole ladder, Kim went up and started lowering people onto the Duck. This was a typical rural area and they tended to large families. The grandparents were visiting with the slew of grandkids, spoiling them rotten the night before. Now there were four adults, two of them in their fifties, and three kids, stair-stepped between ten and six; no where near enough to overload the Duck that could carry a dozen fully loaded Combat Troops. The adults asked Sagara about their elderly neighbors and got nothing but a grim look from him.

Once everyone was aboard, Wade called from the communication console, "The Sherriff says this is the last load. Let's get out of here." He brought up the route and loaded it to the heads-up. Sagara turned to the course and started out. Wade called up to Kaname and told them to head for the rendezvous.

"Team Possible has loaded the last of the people in the area and are ferrying them to safety. No one currently knows what the toll in human life tragedy has cost. But it's obvious that it would have been much higher were it not for the efforts of all the Rescue teams, the National Guard and Team Possible."

The pilot kept orbiting overhead, watching out for cell towers, other aircraft, anything that could get him killed. Something caught his eye. After eons of training, the human eye is drawn to movement. From this altitude, you could see for miles, and in the distance something moved. Something big. Snapping his head around, he saw the dam settle. Then it settled more. Then along a stretch that had to be two hundred feet long, it just disappeared.

It's amazing how fast the mind can work. In what seemed hours, but was really seconds, he processed what he was seeing, ran some calculations and figured the people in the craft below had about six to eight minutes to live. Unless something happened.

Over the guard channel, everyone heard the call from the Corp of Engineers personnel onsite. "Flash, Flash, Flash, all water units cease operations immediately, get clear. Repeat, all water units cease operations immediately, get clear. All airborne units get to 100 feet AGL and stand by"

Combat trained reflexes took over and he practically auto-rotated down beside the Duck. The exterior view through the Steadi-cam through three axis's as the JetRanger plummeted to the surface. Back in the studio the producer screamed at his technicians to not lose the feed.

Settling into a stable hover, the pilot keyed the external PA. "It's down, ya got about six minutes." He guided the chopper sideways until the skid was almost on the side of the Duck. The reporter heard what the pilot had said and scrambled to open the side door.

The mother went first to grab her children, followed by the grandparents. As more and more passengers were added, the pilot increased the collective to compensate for the added weight, now cursing his nearly full fuel tank.

Sagara knew about what the bird could carry. The pilot, reporter, four adult and three kids would likely overload the helicopter. Adding Kim and Wade would really be pushing it. Plus his 90 kilos and the chopper would never get back into the air. The pilot knew it too. Right now the only reason he was staying in the air was he was in ground effect. The air was being compressed beneath his rotors, effectively giving him more lift. But in order to get to safety, he had to get airspeed. And the more weight, the faster he had to go to lift out of the danger area.

Sagara looked around. Everybody except Kim, Wade and himself were aboard the straining helicopter. And he knew he was about to get some arguments. He leaned down to Wade and hollered in his ear, "Load-sensei, I apologize.", confusing the young genius.

"For what?" And Sagara smoothly knocked the boy cold.

"For that."

The pilot keyed the PA again, "Hurry!"

Kim and Sagara tossed the unconscious boy onto the deck of the helicopter. They looked at each other and knew they were both thinking the same thing. Kim broke the tableau by pounding the side the cockpit and thumbing them on their way.

The pilot knew he couldn't argue. He was barely keeping the chopper in the air as it was. The three hundred plus pounds the two represented meant he could get what he had out, or they would all get caught. He carefully eased the stick forward and they were gone.

As soon as the helicopter was on its way, Kim looked around and climbed into Wade's seat, while Sagara settled into the driver's. They fastened their seatbelts and Kim said, "I guess those modifications of Wade's are gonna get a trial run. We're both thinking about trying the same thing, aren't we."

"I believe so. I spent a lot of my off time back on Merida Island swimming in the open surf. I hope Load-sensei's modifications work. These are not the conditions I think he had in mind for them. I'm heading for the largest intersection close by. Better we have a roadbed beneath us then being driven into the mud."

Kim opened the covers to a couple of switches and flipped them. A hatch on the transom at the back of the Duck opened and a series of fabric covered ribs moved up across the open area of the vehicle. When they were in place, the texture of the fabric changed, becoming stiff, almost like metal, completely inclosing the open passenger area. In front of the windscreen, a series of plates rose to meet the new roof line.

Inside when the armor covered the windscreen the heads-up display added an external view. Sagara turned towards the oncoming tsunami as Kim started calling down a checklist, "High pressure air tanks are fully charged. Positive internal pressure. Retracting antennas. Closing all watertight doors. Hull watertight. Engine off, switching to batteries. Ballast tanks flooded. We're set. Let's just hope our CG is low enough to keep us upright and we have enough ballast to stay on the bottom."

The only idea they could come up with was like diving into the surf when swimming in the ocean. Instead of trying to go over the top of an oncoming wave, you go under it. Through the heads-up Sagara saw the wall of water twenty feet high just before the view went dark.

* * *

The 206 was so loaded he could barely maneuver, let alone fly. The only chance he saw they had was to fly straight at the onrushing wall of water and catch the current of air rising in front of it. Seconds before impact, he pulled on the stick and rose enough to clear the wave front.

Kicking the pedals, he spun in the air and dove back the way he came, staying in the added ground effect to build more airspeed. He thought to himself, 'Just like surfing back in Hawaii when I was at Schofield Barracks.'

He was too busy trying to get his overloaded bird back to the barn to notice, but the Stedi-Cam captured images of Duck being covered by the wall of water.

The studio producer gasped, "Dear God, please tell me we got all that."

"Every second went out 'live' Boss."

* * *

In New York, Shunya Chidori started saying a Shinto prayer as Ayame cried.

In Middleton, a bawling Anne Possible sought solace in her husbands arms, while, for once, the twins were speechless.

In the Stoppable home, Dean and Barbara watched in shock. Barbara had her hand to her mouth as she said, "Oh Dear God."

* * *

"Flash, Flash, Flash, all water units cease operations immediately, get clear. Repeat, all water units cease operations immediately, get clear. All airborne units get to 100 feet AGL and stand by" Ron spun the Sloth on it's axis and headed back the way he came, cursing to himself about how he "knew we should'a stayed close by."

When they got back to the position all they could see was flooded landscape. Kaname was trying to make sense of the instrument panel while Ron circled.

"Duck, Sloth, come in. Duck, this is Sloth, come in." She scanned the panel, "No beacon, so the Duck's not totaled. No communications though. If they're submerged, they would have pulled in the antennas. Ron, what do you think?"

He looked out his side trying to catch a glimpse of olive-drab. After a few minutes he replied. "I trust Wade with my life and I've trusted him with KP's for years. He and Sagara modified the Duck. And if the Tweebs can fix it so the Sloth can run underwater, then I'm not worried about Wade working on something that could go on the water in the first place. They'll show up. We gotta land cause we're about on fumes."


	36. Overzealous

Life intrudes. No excuse, merely informing you, my loyal readers. Other things too. Like the fact I discovered the insidiously addictive nature of DOS shells and SuperNES emulators for running seriously old games like 'StarControl', 'SimCity2000' and 'The Secret of Evermore'.

Also, in my spare time, in preparation for a new chapter release, I have been rereading an opus called Sic Semper Morituri by Daniel Gibson. When you include the side story, it's more than 1 million 600 thousand plus words. Even as fast as I read, it took me a while to catch up. You can find it over at mediaminer dot org/fanfic/view_/166465. Highly recommended!

There has also been the six novel arc of the 6th Century Roman General Belisarius by David Drake and Eric Flint.

These are now behind me, allowing me to finish this chapter. I would also like to thank all the reviewers, old and new, regular and intermittent. Your praises, points and criticisms make writing not only easier, but more enjoyable as well.

Knucklebumps to my betas Sentinel and CajunBear. Thanks Dudes.

Now for the next installment of 'This Animal I Have Become'.

Chapter 36 Overzealous

Kim went looking for Ron to ask about dinner for the evening and found him in the garage with Wade and Sagara. They were standing near the battered Duck. The bow section was intact, but crumpled in places. It was only through Wade's modifications and the robustness built into the craft by the designers 70 years ago that she was even here.

The boys were poring over a set of blueprints on the workbench next to the amphibian. As she approached she heard Wade talking, pointing to various places on the prints and the Duck itself.

"So if we remove all the mechanical drive train for the wheels and replace it with high torque electrical motors, pull the engine and replace it with a turbine powered hybrid system, it would leave more than enough room for adapting a tunnel type drive for propulsion in the water."

Sagara looked at the prints and said, "This would be acceptable for riverine operations, Load-sensei. But what about operations in a seawater environment? Salt water is much more corrosive than fresh water. I would be concerned about corrosion of the electrical components in such a situation."

"Not a problem. The reason they didn't try this idea in the 40's was the lack of materials that could take the abuse salt water has on electrical components and they were generations away from being able to build a turbine engine small enough and durable enough to power the thing. But modern seals will work. About the only thing you would need to do after going in the ocean is drive through a river for a while to wash the salt water off.

"And something else to consider. You can buy an off-the-shelf turbine now that fits in your hand. We can easily get one that can work that'll be about half the size of the diesel that's there now, even adding the generator. And the best part is? You won't to sacrifice power to do it. You'll still have about the same road speed. Torque won't be problem either."

"And with the way it's set up, it'll be a lot easier to drive on and off road. No shifting of gears. Just press the D button and push the 'gas'. Sensors will scan the terrain and adjust traction, wheel torque and the tire inflation automatically, too. Before you had to do it manually."

"The really cool part is the tunnel drive. It will just about double the speed in the water."

Sousuke was looking intently at the blueprints. "The proposed water drive has fascinating possibilities. Why is it not more prevalent?"

"It is. You just don't realize it. They've been using a similar idea on personal watercraft for decades. And a lot of boats use water jets, too. Especially for shallow water boats. They have lower maintenance cost than prop drives. The reason people still use propellers is they're faster for the power. That's why the military hasn't switched. But on most Navy ships, they do use turbines. The _Aegis_ and _Arleigh Burke_ class cruisers are prime examples. About the only government to build nuclear powered cruisers were the Russians.

"Finding fuel will be a lot easier too. With the set up we're considering it will automatically adjust to just about any liquid fuel you put in the tank; diesel, gasoline, kerosene, JP8, bio-diesel." Wade's grin grew bigger. "There was even a guy who ran a turbine on moonshine. If it'll burn, the turbine can use it.

"And by switching to a hybrid drive we'll reduce the maintenance on the Duck to about half what it is now, computer sensors will make up the rest. You'll still have to get a creeper and grease gun underneath, but it won't be nearly as bad as it was. And with the modifications to the batteries we have planned, you won't have a repeat of what happened when that flood wave hit you."

Sagara frowned for a moment, "That was unpleasant." Kim watching from behind them shuddered at the memory. Waking up to only the meager illumination of Sagara's mini tac-light thirty feet under water wasn't something she wanted to repeat if she could avoid it.

* * *

Moving his head hurt. There was a reason you wore a helmet inside an A.S. It could get smacked around on the walls of the cockpit! He tried opening his eyes. Darkness? It was dark. Why? Even if the A.S. lost power, some of the equipment, emergency equipment like the eject handles, glowed in the dark. He reached for his watch. It had a very bright micro light. Pushing the button he dimly saw a steering wheel.

'_Chotto matte, watashi wa ARX 7 de wa nai. Watashi wa Duck ni shite i masu.' (_'What a minute. I'm not in the ARX7. I'm in the Duck.')

Shaking his head to clear the fuzziness, he remembered the tac-light on his belt. Pulling it out he pushed the button and started looking around. He remembered the wall of water smashing down on them. The first blast tumbled them around until it was past. Then physics took over and they settled back to the bottom. Since almost all the weight of the Duck was near the deck/floor they had settled back on their wheels. He flashed the light around looking for breaks in the hull. The hull seemed tight with no more water in the bilges then they had before. The air seemed slightly hard to breathe and tasted stale. He unfastened his belts and shined the light towards his teammate.

He checked her pulse and breathing. Both were steady and regular. No bleeding, but she had a good sized goose egg on the back right side of her head. He could sympathize; he had one on the other side. He checked for pupillary reaction while calling, "Possible-san?"

She groaned and muttered, "Next time we do something like this, crash helmets."

"I agree. Injuries should be kept to a minimum."

She tried to look at her watch, but it kept blurring. "How long have I been out?"

"I estimate less than an hour."

"Definitely need helmets next time." She unfastened her belts and pulled her tac-light to add it to Sagara's. "How are we?"

He shined his light around again and said, "So far, no power. Hull seems intact. Air seems stale, but breathable for now. That was as far as I got before checking on your condition."

"OK, let's see how badly off we are."

Over the next few minutes they checked the rest of the vehicle as best they could. The first thing Sagara checked was the circuit breakers. A few, including the main, had been tripped. Tripping the rest to make sure they didn't blow anything else, they started checking the rest of the vehicle as best they could.

Kim commented on the slight shaking they felt. "You feel that?"

"Yes. Water flowing strongly past the hull. I would say we're no more then 20 to 30 feet deep, but the current is immense. Even if we could get out, it would drown even the strongest swimmer." He lifted a floor panel and shined his light down. "I found why we have no power. Several of the batteries have been damaged. A glitch we will need to repair before attempting this again. Neither I nor Load-sensei expected to go inverted.

"There should be a toolbox under your seat. We were lucky that Load-sensei used dry type batteries otherwise the vapors would have killed us in this enclosed area." She just looked at him and shook her head. After the last few months, she had come to the conclusion that nothing fazed this guy except Kaname.

He had her double check that the breakers were tripped and he unhooked the terminals from the batteries. The two of them lifted the damaged ones out of the compartment and shuffled them to the side. Once the damaged batteries were out of the way, they moved the rest around so they could be hooked back in parallel.

One thing Sagara had requested of Wade was that every system onboard ran off of a 24 volt system. That made emergency repairs like this easier. Hooked in parallel, the loss of half the batteries wouldn't cripple the vehicle, merely shorten the time they could remain submerged.

When they had them set in place, Sagara started hooking them back together. He finished and stepped back, then had her start resetting the breakers one at a time, beginning with the main. All across the front dash, instruments and lights started working. The fans started up, running the air through the scrubbers.

She grinned and said, "Looks like we're back in business."

He replaced the floor panel and sat back in the driver's seat and checked the heads-up. "We're 28 feet deep at the keel. We got lucky. Sonar is picking up the riverbed port abeam. Another hundred meters and we could have wound up in the riverbed itself. Depth there currently 59 feet. Load-sensei has us structurally restricted to three atmospheres. Speed of the current is 12 knots. Engaging azipods. Testing, they seem functional. Ready to ascend."

Kim flipped a switch and said, "Blowing ballast. Here we go."

* * *

The pilot of the Bell helicopter had enough speed to stay ahead of the advancing water, but he had to stay in ground effect to keep the bird in the air, his aircraft was so severely overloaded. He called ahead and let the Rescue team know his situation and that he had refugees on board.

Within minutes he had a Blackhawk at both his '4' and '8' o'clock positions flying slightly higher than his own 15-20 FEET AGL.(Above Ground Level) Another was flying 20 to 30 seconds in front of him, scouting the terrain ahead.

Upon landing several of National Guardsman loaded the still unconscious Wade on a stretcher and escorted the refugees to processing as he shut the 206 down, breathing a sigh of relief. That had been some of the wildest flying he had done since he had been assigned to the 160th SOAR back at Fort Campbell. Having to stay in ground effect and keep his airspeed way above the safe limits of his altitude meant he had been flying between buildings, under high-tension power lines and, as the green-streaked bottom of the fuselage could attest, **through** the branches of the occasional tree at close to a hundred knots (115 MPH). Seat of the pants and on the edge flying the whole time.

He exited the bird and walked far enough away to sit on the ground against the tire of a National Guard Humvee. He was looking at his now trembling hands when a man in an olive-drab flight suit walked up and looked down at him with an amused smirk, saying, "Fort Rucker, with a couple a stints at Campbell, I bet."

Looking up, he said "Yeah, but it's been a few years, Chief."

The man, with patches on his breast and upper arm and the rank insignia of a Chief Warrant Officer Three on the tops of his shoulders, squatted and pulled something out of his lower cargo pocket. He flipped the lid to the pack of cigarettes and offered the pilot one "Shame you're out, 'cause you still got it. That was some of the best NOE (Nap-Of-the-Earth) flying I seen in I don't know how long."

With still shaking hands he took one of the offered smokes. His wife would have to forgive him. As he lit the cigarette, he watched the reporter hook up with his groundside cameraman and make a bee-line to the landing Sloth. Exhaling his first drag, he pointed with the filter and said, "That man is definitely dedicated to his trade. He's got guts though, when I dropped the collective all he did was hang on."

"Yeah, well the best of them seem to have more guts than sense. Least he wasn't screaming like a pansy. I just hope his has the sense not to push those people too far. Something tells me that Possible's sidekick is not gonna be in the mood for an interview." He looked at the veteran pilot and could tell by his melancholy expression what he was thinking. "Hey, you got most of them out. You did the best you could and a damn sight better than most."

"I know. When that guy in the amphib knocked out that kid and tossed him in the back, him and Possible both knew they weren't going. All she did was give me a thumb's up and send me on my way."

"Ya know, I get the feeling she's gonna be pretty hard to pin down. I got a Jackson says she turns up later."

"No bet. I got a good look at that amphib of theirs and it ain't what rolled out of the factory in the forties."

They heard an irate voice coming from the direction of the Sloth shouting "LISTEN HERE YA, GHOUL!"

"Awww man, what has he done now?"

* * *

When Gilleye made contact with his cameraman he wanted to get a 'First Reaction' shot of Team Possible members as the exited their car. He was linked to the producer back at the news room who told him, "The guy you're getting ready to talk to is named ROOOOOON STOP-PA-BLE. He's been identified as the guy who was in the videos beating the crap out of Dementor and his goons about six months ago and single-handedly destroying a WWEE strike force AND their equipment about three. Reports also suggest he's Kim Possible's boyfriend. I would STRONGLY suggest you get this guy's name right!"

"I'm on it, Boss." The producer pulled his headset off and tossed it on the console in frustration. Ed was a good, a really good reporter. But like all humans, he had his flaws. Like, sometimes, not knowing when to keep his foot out of his mouth, for one. And diving in without checking how deep the water was for another. Sometimes the water was too shallow and you could break your neck. Others, the water was a lot deeper than you expected it to be and you didn't have a way out. Somehow the producer knew this was going to be one of those times he was going to get foot-in-mouth disease AND the water was going to be real deep.

* * *

Ron and Kaname had gathered up Wade out of the medical tent shortly after a nurse passed smelling salts under his nose. When they asked him how he wound up unconscious, all he did was say he didn't want to talk about it yet and headed to the Sloth grumbling about right crosses, working his jaw around. Kaname and Ron looked at each other, one wondering what he was talking about, the other suspected she knew all too well.

Back at the Sloth, Wade got on the console, trying to arrange for a refueling. He wanted to get back in the air so they could start the search for their missing team members. Ron and Kaname approached the Sloth and a news team appeared in front of them like they teleported there.

As the camera rolled, the reporter stuck a mic in Ron's face saying, "We are here live with Ron Stoppable, Team Possible's second-in-command. Mr. Stoppable, with the apparent demise of Kim Possible, will you now be taking over operations for the Team Possible missions?"

"LISTEN HERE YA, GHOUL! She ain't dead, ya hear! Not till I see a body!"

"But Mr. Stoppable, we have footage of her vehicle being swamped by the flood."

"Wade had the Duck fixed up, so they'll be all right! KP's beaten every supervillain the world's thrown her way and a couple a ET's too! She ain't about to be taken out by a piddly little flood! Now we gotta go!" Ron passed the reporter and stormed toward the Sloth.

* * *

As they left the bottom, instantly the Duck shifted side to side, bow to stern, being tossed like a piece of flotsam. Within seconds they breached the surface, bouncing along on a current they could not possibly go against.

The first thing Sagara did was open the valves to the intake and exhaust for the engine. Running all the systems on the batteries would normally not be a problem, but until he and Wade were able to replace the damaged ones and give the whole vehicle a thorough check, he wasn't willing to trust them if he didn't have to.

Once the engine was running he asked her for a course to the closest dry ground. Kim raised the communications antennas and tried to access the GPS, but the satellite uplink was broken off. Using the compass he headed in the last known direction of dry land downstream of their position.

Then she tried her Kimmunicator linking it to the Sloth. "Ron, Wade, Kaname, You guys there?"

A second later she got her reply in the form of Kaname's face on the view screen, "KIM! Kami ni kansha! Are you two OK?" (Thank the Gods!)

"Got our heads knocked around a bit, but past that we're fine. Is Wade OK? We put him on that news chopper just as the dam went."

"You might want to stay away from Wade for a while. He's mad enough to eat an Arastol and spit a Bonta-kun. What'd you guys do to him?"

"Yeah, about that…"

Kaname knew the other girl was hiding something, "Kim…."

"Well, Sagara did knock him out first."

"SOUSUKE!"

"Don't blame him, he just beat me to it, I wanted him on the chopper too. We didn't have time to argue and he would have argued. Is Ron there?"

"Yea, he'll be back in a minute. He spent the last hour pacing and downing sodas. Is Sousuke OK?"

"What do you think? He's got a harder head than me. He's driving right now. We're underway heading for the north side of the river. We're going to wind up miles downstream. We just don't have the speed in the water to do anything else. We have to get to a roadway and drive around. GPS and satellite links are down, the compass is working, but we're not sure where we are or where to go."

"Hold on I'll get Wade. He's been talking to the Rescue squads and FEMA. This has roads blocked every direction. Here's Ron."

Ron's face took the place of Kaname's on the Kimmunicators small view screen "KP, you OK?"

"Yeah, got a headache like you wouldn't believe, but you know me, one of the hardest heads known to medical science. Gonna recommend helmets for this thing though."

"Thank Yahweh! We saw the footage of the Duck going under. I talked to you're 'rents. That was not fun KP. I think your dad was about to break out the 'Black Hole' threats agaaaaiiiiin." He was suddenly pulled to the side and the screen was filled by the face of an irate Wade.

"Are you two out of your minds? Ya almost killed us! The chopper could barely get above twenty feet 'cause I was onboard!"

"We're sorry about that Wade. We were just trying to watch your back."

"Watching each others backs is one thing, but we're gonna talk about this when we get home! Kaname said that some of your electronics are out. There's a port on the upper right of the console, plug the Kimmunicator in and I'll send you your course."

A moment later a satellite overlay of the area appeared on Sousuke's HUD, showing what the flooded region looked like and a course to get out. As they expected, the course flowed miles downstream of where they were located. The whole region was flooded so bad that they had no choice but to follow the water's flow until the ground rose enough to take to the roads.

"I'm contacting Rescue Command and pulling you guys off the MIA list. We'll take the Sloth and scout your route. There should be a fuel station near you exit point. You can top off there and drive to the rally point. I'll have Mr. Burton meet you there and we can load up and head home."

* * *

When she remembered the colorful 'Jack Burton', she grinned. They had been binding the damaged Duck to the lowboy behind the 'Pork Chop Express'. Ron had a cheater on the binder when it slipped, flying off right towards Mr. Burton's head. Somehow he managed to catch it and while everyone looked on stunned as Ron tried to apologize, the only thing he said was, "It's all in the reflexes."

She heard Wade pause as he talked about the replacement batteries. He turned pensive as he said, "Sagara, I think I owe you an apology. I ran the numbers and while it's not a definite, there's a good chance that three people would have used up all the oxygen before you guys woke up. I still don't like the fact you didn't ask me about getting on that chopper, but I know why ya did it."

All during the ride home, Wade had been in a real snit. When they had gotten back to the garage he lit into Sagara hollering about talking to him and asking for his input. Sagara merely commented he had made a spur-of-moment 'Command Decision'. He had apologized for knocking the teen out, but not for why he did it.

"Load-sensei, in all honesty, those factors never entered into consideration. My main concern was your safety. My primary mission here in America is protecting you. Nothing has changed that."

* * *

After a few weeks of training, the Team stood in the Dojo watching as Fukushima ran through blindingly fast defensive katas with Ron. Fukushima pivoted as he twirled the Katana around to engage multiple enemies. He worked his way across the Dojo until he reached one of the padded pillars in the middle of the room.

Spinning his body to place the pillar guarding his back, the razor sharp sword flashing as he planted his feet and began a frenzy of blurring blade that left no attack openings for a for a full 270 degree arc. When he stopped he was breathing heavily holding the Katana in a high guard, poised to go from defense to attack. Lowering the blade and without looking, he brought the back edge to his left hand holding the Saya and slid the sword home with a click. Looking at his student, he nodded and Ron launched into the same Kata.

Kim watched apprehensively as her man twisted and twirled, swinging a live steel blade with an edge so fine he could shave with it. He flowed like water around and through his imaginary foes. Again, as she had suspected, Ron's greatest problem was his own self-doubts and over-thinking. But when he relaxed and let the training that was being instilled into him _flow_, he could accomplish amazing feats.

That's not to say the 'Ron Factor' never came into play. When Ron reached the pillar and planted his feet for the blurring, flashing finish, just like Yamanouchi with the Bo and a week earlier with the Bokken, his clothes disappeared. This time in a cloud of silk confetti, leaving him standing with his boxers flapping.

It had happened so many times to him that by now the only thing Ron could do was sigh. Having never seen it before, Kaname and Sagara are stunned by the event. Kim and to a lesser extent, Wade had seen it happen before, at least the pants. The whole Gi was a new twist, but Kim was glad to see that after everything, Ron was still Ron.

The trouble nearly started with Fukushima laughing. Kim was about to lay into the Japanese Swordsman, but she never got the chance. Tired of Fukushima's past weeks of mocking, Sagara cuts off Kim's remarks to Fukushima by putting on a surprised face and saying, "Stoppable-san, that was an amazing display of skill."

Ron's eyes nearly popped out of his head as everyone, except Kaname, looked at Sousuke like he lost his mind. A stunned Fukushima declared, "But he looked stupid. His clothes are gone."

Still looking at Ron, he says, "Yes, he was moving the blade just as fast, probably faster, than you. He was wearing a tight fitting Gi, yet he brought the blade close enough to his body to shred his clothes and there's not a scratch on him. The degree of control is amazing. Neither I nor anyone else I know could duplicate the feat." Looking at Fukushima hard, he continues, "Can you?" Sousuke starts to exit the Dojo.

Fukushima tries to argue by saying, "But, it was an accident, just like last two times!"

Looking back, Sagara wanting no misunderstandings, says in Japanese, "_Sore o ka? Ga teki to sesshoku shite sent__ō__-hei no ma de kotoba o da. 'Ichido jiko, nikai g__ū__zen desu. San dekigoto wa, teki no k__ō__d__ō__ desu!' Kono jiko, matawa gakusei Sensei no sukiru ni uwamawaru no sukiru__ā__ru o ka?" _He left the Dojo, a beaming Kaname on his heels.

Kim asks, "Ron, what did he say?"

"I'm not sure. It was too fast."

Surprisingly, it was Fukushima, reflectively looking at the exit to the Dojo, who translated, "He said, 'Was it? There's a saying among Combat Soldiers in contact with the enemy. 'Once is an accident, twice is coincidence. Three times is Enemy action!' Was this an accident,' " He looked at Ron and continued questioningly, "'or are the skills of the Student surpassing the skills of the Sensei?'."

Authors Note: I could have continued from here, however I haven't worked out the next few scenes. I figured that you would appreciate having this now to feed the need rather than wait another 6-9 days.


	37. Tenshi no Yubikiri

AN: I don't know where this came from. this was not the chapter I had planned. Ayame just took over! I guess she decided she didn't have enough time in the preceding chaps and took control. Part of it was I heard _Tenshi no Yubikiri _again and here it came. I originally had her singing it Karaoke during Christmas or something, but she wanted her time NOW!

The song title sorta means Promise of an Angel

Tenshi translates as Angel, but the word for promise is actually yakusoku. Yubikiri literally means "Pinky Swear" So the song is really talking about pinky promises. The song comes from the anime "Kare Kano" or "His and Her Circumstances." It's an older that's still a GREAT show

Chapter 37 _Tenshi no Yubikiri_

* * *

Although he didn't know it, Shunya's problems started the day his daughter returned to school after he and Ayame arrived home. She walked into the halls of the private school like she was floating in a cloud.

To say the weeks she had been in Middleton were intense was an understatement. First there was the fact she had gotten to meet Kim Possible. And not only meet her, but lived in her house the whole time. With pictures to prove it!

Next was able she to see her sister after their long separation. Kaname had spent as much time as she could spare re-forging the bond the two of them had shared before Kaname entered high school in Japan.

Then her sister had broken the boyfriend barrier with their father. Not just broken it, but shattered it by finding a guy that not even Shunya Chidori could, in all honesty, disapprove of. Ayame knew her somewhat overprotective father wanted to disapprove of him. He'd even tried. He just couldn't. Sousuke Sagara had made a serious impression on her father. And now that Kaname had blown up the 'boyfriend barrier', that led to the last, and certainly not the least, reason for her memories of Middleton.

_Tenshi no Yubikiri_

www . Youtube .com/watch?v=MZztU9jqUnQ&feature=related

Wade Load. The guy she had given her first real kiss too. He was half a continent away and his brown eyes still hovered in her mind. She knew there was no way the two of them could be a couple, not with that kind of distance between them. But as far as what to look for in a boyfriend was concerned, from now on he was the one who would set the standard. And the standard was pretty high. Still, she could dream, right?

_**YOU MAY DREAM Oikakete. Sunao na kono kimochi**_

_**tsutaerareta nara DREAMS COME TRUE **_

**(You may dream. Chase after it. If you can convey these sincere feelings, your dreams can come true.)**

_**YOU MAY DREAM Masshiro na koi wa tsubasa ni naru **_

_**tenshi no yubikiri kanau you ni. **_

**(You may dream. Pure white love becomes wings, as if the promise {Pinky Swear} of an angel is coming true.)**

As she walked to her locker, she pondered the guys in her school. Sure there were the 'sports guys" and the "cool guys" and the "artists". But how many of them were college graduates and went on missions with "The Kim Possible." Even designing and building her gadgets and modifying the Duck.

Which one of the football players could climb into an Arm Slave and take on some of the best Soldiers in the world and either win or fight them to a stand still? Were any of the cool guys in school carded law enforcement officers with an honest-to-God badge, and the arrest powers and a **gun** to back it up!

Ayame giggled thinking about what would happen to the bully who tried to push somebody around who was getting Martial Arts training daily. She thought back to the girl talks she had with her friends before she left, discussing this or that guy. That ones dreamy eyes or the other one's cute butt.

_**Me no mae wo sugiru yokogao**_

_**tokimeki ga ondori-hajimeru**_

**(When I see your profile in passing, my heart begins to flutter and dance.)**

_**Hanasu koe mimi wo katamuke**_

_**mata hitotsu anata wo shitta**_

**(Listening to your voice as you talked, I realized there was another "you.")**

_**Hon no sukoshi yuki dashite**_

_**sono hitomi wo mitsumetai**_

**(I wish I had just a little bit of courage to gaze into your eyes.)**

She knew what cool was now. Cool was someone that who graduated college when most people hadn't even started high school. Cool was the guy who ran into a building and crawled through the ductwork to help capture an armed murderer. Cool was a person who saved the lives of a family when their house was being washed away. Cool was a guy who thought enough about her to give her and her father training that could save their lives. Cool was someone who was willing to do whatever it took, even putting their own life on the line, to protect their friends and family, and never counting the cost to themselves.

_**YOU MAY DREAM Oikakete. Sunao na kono kimochi**_

_**tsutaerareta nara DREAMS COME TRUE **_

**(You may dream. Chase after it. If you can convey these sincere feelings, your dreams can come true.)**

_**YOU MAY DREAM Masshiro na koi wa tsubasa ni naru **_

_**tenshi no yubikiri kanau you ni. **_

**(You may dream. Pure white love becomes wings, as if the promise {Pinky Swear} of an angel is coming true.)**

The basketball player that hit 30 percent from the three point line or the football player that made 100 plus yards rushing every game; just didn't measure up. They used to, but Ayame Chidori had a new standard of what a cool guy was. Ron Stoppable and Sousuke Sagara were near the top of her new list. But they were half a decade older then she was. Not a big deal for a 23 year old, but a huge one for a 13 year old. Not only that, but they were both taken.

Doctor Wade Load on the other hand….. Doctor! He was her age and got to be called _Doctor_. Whoa! She shook her head thinking about it. He had opened up to her a bit after the mission to the warehouse where Kim had killed that traitor.

Wade had been the one to let them out of the lab when the Team returned. She could tell that there was something wrong with the teen. The look on his face was tormented as he retreated into the lab. Her father noted the same and raised an eyebrow in question to his daughter.

"I'll talk to him, Daddy." he nodded and went to check on his other daughter.

_**Omokage ga kirameku tabi ni**_

_**mune ga itande me wo tojiru**_

**(Every time your face shines, my heart hurts, and I close my eyes.)**

_**Setsunasa ga namida ni natte**_

_**jibun katte ni koborete'ku**_

**(Heart-break turns into tears, selfishly overflowing.)**

_**Kizutsuku koto wo osorezu ni**_

_**kagami ni koyubi sashidasu**_

**(Without being afraid of getting hurt, I hold my little finger out to the mirror.)**

He was in the middle of the room working on the Bonta-kun, but there was stiffness to his movements. Not knowing anyone was watching him his eyes roamed the surface of the workbench. He paused, eyes unfocused, not really seeing what was in front of him. He screamed and slid most of the equipment off the bench and crashing to the floor.

His jaw started trembling and his shoulders quaking. Even from behind Ayame knew he had started to cry. She rushed to his side and threw her arms around his shoulders. Slowly she got the reason for his tears. Their target had been killed. That wasn't the problem. To Wade it was the fact he had been blindsided forcing Kim to kill the man. Now Kim was in pain. Hurting because he'd failed. Maybe if he had been better, he could have stopped the target without her having to face this demon.

_**YOU MAY DREAM Dakishimete. Ima sugu kono omoi**_

_**kotoba ni kaetai I LOVE YOU**_

**(You may dream. Hold me. Right now, I want to change these thoughts into words: I love you.)**

_**YOU MAY DREAM Masshiro na koi wa tsubasa ni naru **_

_**tenshi no yubikiri kanau you ni. **_

**(You may dream. Pure white love becomes wings, as if the promise {Pinky Swear} of an angel is coming true.)**

They talked, more like he talked and she listened to him berate himself. From how he'd forced himself on the mission when he wasn't ready to how he had nearly gotten them killed when he fell through the vent to getting tazered by Du forcing Kim to kill the traitor.

She was quiet for a moment and asked if he was going to make the same mistakes again. Wade looked horrified and told her "Not no, but Hell No!"

"Then I don't think Kim or Ron are worried about it, so why are you?"

He smiled slightly, "Thanks! "

"We're friends, right? Friends help each other!"

When the ordeal was over, he asked her if she could keep what happened there in the lab quiet. She gave one of the patented Chidori sunbeam smiles, held out her right hand, pinky finger extended, and said, "Yubikiri! Friends Pinky Swear! _Yubikiri_!"

_**YOU MAY DREAM Oikakete. Sunao na kono kimochi**_

_**tsutaerareta nara DREAMS COME TRUE **_

**(You may dream. Chase after it. If you can convey these sincere feelings, your dreams can come true.)**

_**YOU MAY DREAM Masshiro na koi wa tsubasa ni naru **_

_**tenshi no yubikiri kanau you ni. **_

**(You may dream. Pure white love becomes wings, as if the promise {Pinky Swear} of an angel is coming true.)**

* * *

Ayame walked to her homeroom talking to her friend Jessica. She was flipping through the pictures on her phone, showing Jessica where Kim Possible lived. Along the way she passed Jeffery Jackson, with the top button of his white Oxford shirt undone, the school tie pulled down, his jacket open and with his hands in his pockets and the 'It don't bother me cause I don't care' slouch. Three weeks ago he was so "OMG" to die for. Now she passed him without a glance.

As she passed his eyes widened a little. He had expected her to be a fawning fool like the rest of the girls. He was the top of the heap of his age group in the school and could get a date with nearly any girl he wanted, even a couple of the Juniors, let alone a Freshman like Ayame Chidori. With his parent's money he had access to a chauffeur driven car. It wasn't regularly a limo, but if he wanted he could get one of those too. This lack of servile stuttering and batting eyelashes didn't fit very well into his world view and needed to be remedied.

"Hey, you're Ayame, right?"

Before Middleton, having Jeffery Jackson even speak to her would have turned her into a blithering babbling fool like her friend Jessica. Now? "Yes, excuse me; I have to get to class."

As the girls walked away he could hear Jessica in gush mode, hissing that, "Oh My God, Oh My God, he spoke to you, Jeff Jackson the hottest Freshman in the school spoke to you."

Ayame's reply left no doubt to the boy that there was something wrong in the world. "So what? Oh! Here's a picture of Kim's boyfriend and his car. Talk about fast. They had it going more than a hundred and fifty miles an hour."

He just stood there blinking, not believing what he had just heard. 'So what?' 'So What?' Nobody said "So what?" about him.

* * *

At lunch time he tracked her to the patio outside the lunchroom where she was talking to a group of girls. She was standing waving her arms as she described her trip. "It was so cool. Team Possible has this building where they have these robot thingies, I think they called them Synthodrones, they're huge, like seven feet tall, and they go in with guns blazing, shooting the robots like they're a SWAT Team or something. Wade taught me how to shoot, so they even let me try it a few times."

"Then there were the simulators. You know those Army machines, the Arm Slaves? That's what they were like. You climb in and it's like you're really there. It was better then any video game I can tell you that. When you were in it, it felt like the thing moved and if there was an explosion nearby, the whole thing shook. You could see the bad guys as you tried to get them before they got you. There's no doubt, that was the coolest vacation ever."

Jeff was standing behind Ayame so she couldn't see him. The rest of the girls did though and their attention shifted from Ayame to the hottie behind her. He settled his right hand on her right shoulder to get her attention and got more then he bargained for. After a couple of weeks with a group that practiced Martial Arts daily and drug her into the training whether she wanted it or not had an effect.

There was no thought. As soon as his hand landed, reflexes took over. She grabbed the wrist with her left hand and pivoted to the right, raising her right arm to trap and lock the elbow. As she continued the pivot, she slid her right hand to the elbow, completing the joint lock and levered the shocked boy face down on the table, her feet spread for balance and leverage. It happened so fast only those standing right beside them even noticed it.

As soon as the technique was completed, Ayame realized what happened and let him go. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry! You startled me. Are you OK?" She helped him up, straightening and brushing his jacket.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. It's cool." Jeff quickly got himself under control. Being tossed like a rag doll was definitely not something he considered cool, but if he wanted to get to the bottom of why this girl was ignoring him, he had to pass it off. Like most "Cool" people, he was a master of making things seem like they were what he intended from the beginning.

"I wanted to talk to you earlier before homeroom, but you seemed kinda busy. You're Ayame Chidori, right? I'm Jeff Jackson, I was wondering if you wanted to catch a show on Broadway this weekend? I can pick you up Saturday around 6:30?"

The girls were standing there trembling at just being near the hottie, but Ayame just blew it off.

"No thanks." The girls were all shocked thinking the same thing. 'What? No thanks? But this is Jeff Jackson! How could she possibly turn _him_ down?'

As bad as the girls were that was nothing compared to Jeff. He hadn't been turned down since he hit puberty. Not even by that Junior he asked out two months ago. He turned on the charm, "Come on, name the show, I bet I can get us tickets."

"So, the answer is still the same and it rhymes with 'So'."

"Why not? We'll have a really good time. It'll be great."

By now, Ayame was getting tired of this, "Well, you don't seem to understand English, do you? Luckily, I'm the daughter of a diplomat. Japanese is my first language and I've learned a smattering of others, so let's try Japanese first. _Iye! Wakaramasu ka? _Or Russian?_ Nyet! Vy govorite russkii yazyk? _German maybe? _Nein! Sprichst du Deutsch?_ Look. You're cute and all, but they all mean the same thing. No!"

"But why the hell not?"

OK, time for a different tactic. Looking at him through her Wade colored glasses, he just didn't measure up and she told him so. "Look, I got a boyfriend, OK. One who's a cop and already graduated college. Why would I wanna go on a date with a High school _boy_! A Freshman no less." She waved him away, saying, "Come back and see me when you've actually saved peoples lives and arrested some criminals."

Calling the looks around her shocked was like saying it's damp in India during the monsoon, when they measure the rainfall in feet.

And no one was more shocked then Jeffrey Jackson. He had not only been turned down. He'd been slammed. And nobody did that to him.

* * *

Imagine Shunya's surprise when he was called to come and get his daughter at the regional offices of the Child Protection Services. They had picked her up from school and called him for questioning about an alleged molestation or statutory rape. When he arrived he was led to a room with three functionaries in suits, two men and a woman, asking Ayame questions. The first thing he did was make sure Ayame was OK. The next was to ask what was going on. Then questioning started.

They had been going at it for nearly an hour by now. Whoever these people were, they weren't hearing any of Shunya's words. They somehow had the idea that he had allowed his daughter to be either raped or molested. Either in the recent past or he would in the near future, he still wasn't exactly sure. Ayame sat in the chair in the corner of the room, apparently quietly playing a game on her phone.

No matter what he told them he was in the wrong. He'd heard about functionaries like this before. Bureaucrats who worshiped at the alter of their own bureaucracy and followed the laws of the bureaucrat. The first of which No matter what happens 'CYA'. The second 'Deny anything negative and take credit for anything positive.', even if you have to massage the data to get positive results.

Then there was the ultimate rule of the bureaucracy, 'Within its demesne, the bureaucracy was supreme and it was **never** wrong**'.** Look at how long it took the Catholic Church to acknowledge its treatment of Galileo. 400 years to admit, "Ya know, you were right and we were wrong. We apologize!" Bureaucracy at it's finest. Somehow he had come to the attention of these bureaucrats and their circular reasoning.

'What's the name of the person molesting your daughter?'

There is no one doing that.

'We can't help you if you deny there's a problem'

But there isn't a problem.

'Denial isn't helping you here. We have evidence that someone has molested your daughter. Who is it?'

What evidence?

'That's confidential. We have an ongoing case. All will be revealed if this goes to trial.' The way they said the word "If", they meant 'When'

Then who is the person accused of doing this to her?

'That's what we're trying to find out. You need to tell us. Now, what's the name of the person molesting your daughter?'

There is no one doing that.

'We can't help you if you deny there's a problem'

But there isn't a problem.

'Denial isn't helping you here. We have evidence that someone has molested your daughter. Who is it?'

What evidence?

'That's confidential. We have an ongoing case.

And around we go again. It had long since given him a headache.

It was in the first half hour that one of the three bureaucrats had let slip enough information for both Shunya and Ayame to start to understand a few things. Enough that he knew how precarious him and his daughters position was and for her figure out who they were talking about and to call for help. The narrow weasel faced man arrogantly flipped through a few pages and was reading from one of them.

"According to our reports, the accused has been described in her words as an older boyfriend. He is also a police officer and has graduated college. That means he has to be at least twenty two. Probably older if he's a cop. This is one scum we really wanna get off the street. A child molesting cop? **We** have to catch him. Now who is it?"

Shunya was a trained diplomat. And he had caught the slight stressing of the word 'we'. These people didn't want to catch a criminal for the sake of getting him off the streets. They wanted to have **their names** associated with getting him off the street.

Things had devolved to the point they had started to threaten foster care unless Shunya was more forthcoming in his answers. Problem was Shunya didn't have any idea who or what they were talking about. He had started to get a little frightened.

When Ayame heard the terms boyfriend, college and cop, Wade popped into her head. She unobtrusively fished out her cell and quietly tapped out a text message asking her friend for help. In the meantime she kept her mouth shut. A few minutes later she got a text saying help was on the way. Thirty minutes after that came one that said the Team was on the roof and getting in the elevator. Ayame sprung her trap.

"Daddy, maybe they're asking about Wade. I mean, he's kind of a police officer and he has graduated college. And, ya know, he is kinda cute." She help up her cell, saying, "I even asked if he could stop by and maybe help get this mess fixed. He'll be here in a few minutes, he's in the elevator now."

The CPS bureaucrats pounced. 'Do you know this person? Is he the one that's been molesting your daughter?'

Shunya had had enough. Quietly thinking 'Bless you, Ayame-chan', he interlaced his fingers and steepled his forefingers gently tapping them together. Sighing, he said, "As a matter of fact, I've met the young man in question. And I'm quite certain he's never molested my daughter. He's a very fine young man. College graduate, even working on his 'Second' doctorate. He's employed by Global Justice as a Reserve Agent, legally authorized to carry firearms. Gave my youngest daughter a thorough introduction to firearms safety and self defense." Time to stir the pot. He looked sidelong at his youngest daughter. "I would not be adverse to the idea if the two of them wished to start an appropriate relationship."

"How could you possibly allow such a thing? There's no telling what he's likely to do."

"I said _appropriate_ relationship. I see nothing wrong if the two of them wished to go an age appropriate movie or to the local fast food restaurant as long as they met curfew.

CPS cronies are aghast, talking about why would this 'guy' be willing to go along with such restrictions when he could buy her booze.

"Neither I nor Ayame said the young man was over twenty one, did we?"

The double doors to the conference room opened revealing a group of people. In the front center was a young African-American teen dressed in a digital grey Interceptor body armor over a black mock turtleneck, grey cargos, and black lace up boots. The armor was festooned with an assortment of gadgets, a few of what looked to be grenades and a huge handgun on the left side in an underarm, cross draw holster.

Behind him was a foursome of young adults. To the left was an Oriental, probably Japanese considering the fact of the Chidori's presence, couple. To the right was a pair that couldn't have been farther apart if they tried. A blond male and red-headed girl. The males were dressed in the same black/grey/black motif as the teen in the front with a collection of various weapons on the armor, including what looked like a Katana on the back of the blonde male.

The girls were dressed differently though. The taller, Japanese girl was wearing the same basic outfit as the guys' right down to the handgun in a holster on the left side. The shorter Caucasian red-head differed in that she was wearing a pair of black flare pants with a purple stripe running up the outside of the leg and a short sleeved shirt that exactly matched the purple stripe. On her hips was a military style pistol belt that contained several pouches and a holster on the right side. Her armor was black instead of the digital grey of the rest of the group with the butt of a handgun on the left side like the others. Both of the girls had their hair tightly braided, hanging down their backs.

On the upper left side of the chest of the armor of all five was round patch. It was gold and had the Earths landmasses over a red white and blue shield. Around the edge it said 'Global Justice Alliance'. On their right shoulder was another. It was a shield that showed a Polar Projection view of the world from the North Pole. Superimposed was a Katana, point down, with a stylized purple TP over all.

The teen in front looked first at Ayame with a slight smile and held out a pinky to her. Then he addressed Shunya. "Sorry we're late, Chidori-san. We were in the shoot house when I got your message. I understand you have a problem here.

The CPS bureaucrats flip. "Who are you people?"

Shunya holds a hand toward the youngest member of the group and said, "I would like you to meet the young man in question, _Doctor_ Wade Load. Doctor, these people are purportedly members of the New York Child Protection Services and they have a few questions for us."

"City or State?"

"I'm not sure yet."

Wade glared at the trio of suits. "Really?"

The CPS bureaucrats flip again, "This is a private meeting. Your presence is neither wanted nor needed. You have no right to be here."

The red-head looks at the bureaucrats and says, "We're Team Possible and we got a hit on the site from Shunya and Ayame Chidori requesting our presence." Kim pointed to the Japanese girl on the other side of Wade, "That and the fact that Miss Ayame's sister is a member of this Team gives us the right to be here. Now, what are your names and credentials?"

"That's neither here nor there. Who we are doesn't matter. But you have to leave."

"So it's the Inquisition all over again."

The blonde male quips, "This reminds me of the Salam Witch Trials in history class."

The Japanese male looks at the blonde. "There seem to be similar methods being employed here."

One of the 'Crats pulled a cell phone and dialed 911 asking for officers. To the shock of the 'Crats, the Japanese girl immediately raised the device on her left wrist to her face and called the local dispatch telling them that Global Justice was responding to the 911 call they had just received and to stand by.

The red-head never looked away from the suits in front of her. She merely said, "Wade, this is your show!"

"Hold on a second." Wade pulls a pair of glasses from his armor, put them on and starts tapping one handed on a pad on his thigh. "Al, Eleanor, connect to the net, access 'Law' sub direct: 'New York State' sub direct: permutations of 'Child Protection'. Access 'Child Protection Services' sub direct: 'New York State' also sub direct: New York City sub direct: 'Duties and Mission Statement', access the CPS database New York State and New York City, sub direct: engage facial recognition software, identify the following images within CPS database." His fingers flew across the keys.

"Download and cross-reference all data for the names attached to the images. Summarize relevant cases of child abuse, child neglect and child endangerment. Summarize relevant testimonies, outcomes and judgments. Net search: news media: search parameters: names attached to images. Summarize relevant news stories." As Wade was giving his orders to the AI's the faces of the bureaucrats went greyer and greyer.

In seconds he started shifting his head as he moved his eyes across the data streaming into the glasses. A moment later he starts naming names. "All right. According to the State CPS database, these three are mid-level bureaucrats. There seems to be a history of filing what later turn out to be spurious and frivolous charges against a number of high visibility citizens. The only reason they haven't been fired is the union they belong to."

He tapped a moment more. "Apparently every case they've been involved with in the last 6 years has wound up in the news one way or another. They've passed a bunch of lower profile cases to other case workers, frequently overloading the other personnel. While the cases they've taken were often dropped for lack of evidence. Meanwhile the parents of the kids in question were raked over the coals both in the courts and in the press for no good reason."

"From the looks of the data, a case against a U.N. diplomat, even if it failed, would probably be enough to launch them into the higher ranks of the New York CPS."

The blonde male grinned, "Wade, you are the man!"

"It's all in the search terms."

Wade tells them, "You people had better figure out where your priorities lie because I'll send your bureau back into the 19th century until you do.

"Is that a threat?"

Wade growled, "It's not a threat. It's a statement of intent. Drop this case. NOW! Because if you don't the first thing that will happen is EVERY computer your bureau uses will go offline in thirty minutes. Then I have a couple of AI's that can and will sift through every file on your servers looking for evidence of wrongdoing. Starting with your names!"

The woman was furious and looked it. "You can't do that, it's not within your jurisdiction."

"Fine, you can deal with the both the New York State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Global Justice has reciprocal agreements for that very reason. If they discover evidence of wrongdoing that falls within our purview, they pass it to us for prosecution and we do the same. Each and every one of us are duly authorized Global Justice Agents and if we suspect anyone of breaking the law, we have a duty to investigate the offenders to the fullest extent possible."

"I have reason to suspect corruption within the New York State Child Protection Services. Beginning with the three individuals in front of me. I am therefore obligated by State, Federal and UN regulations to pursue the matter."

"You people aren't trying to protect the interests of a minor here. You're trying to build your own little empire by attacking high profile individuals and getting your names in the news. In the meantime you go on ignoring those kids out there that really need the help simply because their parents happen to be lower than middle class.

"Young man, you need to settle down. You don't know who you're dealing with. Apparently your parents and guardians are out of control if they let a minor such as yourself run around carrying a gun. That's something we need to look into. And Global Justice? Looks like we might have to bring suit against them as well"

Wade slowly takes off the glasses and glares at the trio of bureaucrats. "Take your best shot! You people think you can scare me with a **court case**? I'm a member of Global Justice in good standing with twenty four arrests to my name. I've been credited with directly saving the lives of dozens of people and assisted with hundreds more. I've taken and returned fire with criminals' intent on killing me and my friends. I have real villains out there that wanna kidnap me for the things I know."

"I'm not some celebrity that cares about their reputation in the news and I'm not a 'Leading Citizen' or politician trying for re-election. You people push me and I'll push back! I won't crawl into your pasts with a microscope; I'll use an electron spectrograph. You try to bring a case against my family and friends and I'll bring up the fact you failed finger painting in kindergarten or the crib notes you used on your 10th grade algebra test!"

Wade looked directly at the woman the threatened him. "Or how about the fact you failed to report the twenty two hundred in tips you made when you were a waitress in your first semester as a college sophomore. We'll get the IRS involved. How bout that?" The woman went from red faced fury to ashen grey.

By now Wade was trembling with fury and practically frothing at the mouth. These people used their jobs and position to personally further their careers at the expense of children that were endangered. Kids whose parents abused and neglected them. It was supposed to be these peoples' jobs to watch out for those kids. Instead they were more worried about their little clique and whether they could bully someone.

"I was a college graduate at nine and got my first Doctorate at ten. Make me mad enough and I'll take the BAR in two weeks and pass, then bury you in countersuits. I'm the holder of dozens of patents that make me a small fortune. Weekly. I personally have access to more money yearly than your Bureau's entire annual budget. I can afford to bring suit after suit against the New York CPS and you personally until they fire you just to get me to stop. And that's **exactly** what I'll tell your supervisors!"

"The only offense that has occurred here is your abuse of power. Looking at your past case histories, if it wasn't for the fact that Chidori-san was a UN diplomat, you wouldn't have even bothered. Like I said, drop this case. NOW! Shred all the paperwork for it and delete any computer records and leave Chidori-san alone." He looked at Shunya and asked, "Are we finished here, Sir?"

Shunya gave a slight bow saying, "_Hai. Arigato gozitmatsu, Load-sensei."_

"No big, sir. Let's go."

As they were getting ready to leave, Wade had a parting shot for the bureaucrats. He was grinding his teeth as he said, "Oh, FYI, I'm gonna be keeping an eye on you in the future. The next time you try to ignore some poor kid getting beaten because his parents happen to be poor or threaten a city councilman to get your name in the paper, I'll expose every single case you've been involved with in the last ten years, highlighting the abuse of power in every one. If you people don't clean up your act, I'll have the FBI on you so fast you'll think they appeared by **magic**."

Wade pivoted of the balls of his feet and stormed out the door of the conference room followed by the rest of the Team and the Chidori's. As they left the room, the adoring gaze of his youngest daughter firmly fixed on the back of the fuming Wade Load did not escape Shunya's notice. Nor the quietly muttered, "He is soooo cooool!"

He leaned down and very, very quietly told her in Japanese, "_Watashi wa, Ayame-chan o shonin" _(I approve, Ayame-chan.)

Back in the conference room, the occupants failed to notice the fact the small camera high in one corner of the room had a two small red lights showing both the visual and audio had been activated. Thirty-five minutes later, as the 'Crats were trying to formulate a plan against the group that had left, a pair of men in off the rack suits that screamed 'Government' and carrying laptops entered. They produced badges from the Federal Bureau of Investigation saying they wanted to ask them some questions about alleged corruption within the New York CPS. They were well informed as to the particulars of the cases in question!

* * *

When the Team returned home, Kim had to stop by her parents' house to pick up some of her mail that was still being delivered there. While she and Ron were there, a delivery truck dropped off a package. After signing for the package, Kim set it on the kitchen table and turned to leave when Ron asked, "Aren't you gonna open it, KP?"

On top of the large box, it simply said 'Possible Family' with a return address to Nana's place in Florida.

"Ron, it's from Nana, it's obviously for Dad."

Ron looked at the box's address label. Pointing to a spot he said, "But, KP, it says Possible _Family_ on it. You're a Possible, that means you're family. Therefore you can open the box."

"Leave it alone, Ron. It's not for us."

"Sure it is, KP! You have just as much right to open it as your 'rents'. Besides, your brothers are gonna get home before they do. What do ya think the chances are that they're gonna leave it alone?"

She went wide-eyed for a second. The Tweebs hadn't crossed her mind. She turned from Ron to look at the box. They stared at the box, each other, the box back to each other.

"OK, you're right, those two are most def gonna open it. They'll probably try and use what's inside for one of their rockets or something. Least this way we can make sure it's safe."

She got a knife and slit the tape, opening the box. Carefully packed inside were a lot of different things. Photo albums and mementos took up most of the space inside. There were even a couple of DVD's. In an envelope she found a note from Nana. Pulling the note out, she read it aloud.

"I figured since that Lander smashed the house, you all would like to have replacements to all the pictures you sent me over the years. I took all of my photo albums and had copies made. I even had copies made of the videos to your wedding and the ones you sent me from when Kimmie was a youngster. I went through the attic and even found old videos and movies from when Poppie was alive. The nice young man at the center even transferred them to DVD for me. I hope this helps make up for what those awful green people did to your house."

"Love Always

Nana"

Kim's voice had started to break a little as she read. Her bottom lip was trembling for reasons that had nothing to do with the PDP and she was softly crying. When the Lowardian lander crushed her childhood home, her family had lost almost everything except for the clothes on their backs. The only reason she had been able to recover the pictures she kept on her computer was Wade had regularly backed it up to a couple of secure servers. And as for the hard copies, if she had one, so did Ron.

After Ron calmed her, he suggested taking the DVD's to the living room and watching for a while. Kim agrees. A couple of vids of the two of them around age 6-8. Then they found one that had "James Possible, Bad Case, Fourth of July 1987" written on it.

The music is scratchy, but the vocals are fairly clear. The video shows a younger, college-aged James Possible dressed in a shimmering suit, white shirt and a narrow tie. There was no grey in his hair and it was moussed to give it a lot of body on the top. There was a beaming Anne with basically the same hairdo she wore now. Apparently surgical caps were a problem even when she was an intern.

The two young adults watched dropped jawed as James Possible was belting out a song. After watching, Kim secures the video saying, "Finally! It's my turn! This is going to be my revenge for those 'Bubble Butt' movies!"


	38. Thanksgiving

It's time once again to give thanks to my Beta's Sentinel103 and CajunBear73. Especally since I brainfarted it in the last chapter | Doh.

Chapter 38 Thanksgiving

Having left his driver at the car, he stalked along the corridors of the mall and wandered around trying to burn off the frustration of his failed reprisal against the little Japanese twit that snubbed him. Not that he had been the only one. After word got around about her slamming him, she had been blowing off date requests left and right. Even the Junior and Senior classmen had been shot down in flames. Often with that same infuriating "Why would I wanna date a high school _boy_?"

On his way to the restroom, he passed another guy his age leaning against the wall near a bank of phones. An African-American dressed in a black turtleneck, grey cargos tucked into a pair of black combat boots and what looked like a heavy digital camouflage grey vest jacket. On his back was a small pack. He had his arms crossed watching through hooded eyes as Jeff walked down the deserted corridor. Jeff watched him out of the corner of his eye as he passed, but the other boy never moved.

Jeff entered the restroom and did his business, washed his hands, dried them and turned to leave. He saw the same teen leaning against the doorframe, his pack on the ground beside him. The other boy spoke. "Harassment, stalking, false statements to law enforcement officials, filing false affidavits, I could come up with a couple of others. Your harassment of Ayame Chidori ends now."

Jeff was definitely surprised, but recovered quickly, "What're you talking about?"

"Don't try to BS me. It's didn't take much to figure out that one of those idiots I had arrested was your Uncle. After his arrest, his cell records were open territory. I traced the incoming calls from your phone to his. Once I had the list of calls I talked to Ayame about the names on it, asked if she knew any of them. The only one she knew was yours."

Wade stepped closer to the other boy, almost nose-to-nose, "And while I don't know the content of those calls, the fact that you go to the same school as her, coupled with the fact that she burned you in public, you placing several calls to that moron that threatened her dad and that you're related him, makes for a pretty good case, circumstantial though it is, of someone trying to get petty revenge."

"You're out of you mind. I don't have a clue what you're talking about."

"I oughta just kick your butt right here." Jeff tried a sucker punch swinging a low jab to the belly. Wade didn't even bother to try and block or avoid the punch. He just let it land. When Jeff's strike landed he hit something hard, nearly breaking his hand. He realized that what he thought was just a vest was a lot heaver and denser.

He stepped back with a confused look holding his injured hand. Wade merely tapped his chest, "Interceptor body armor. Same stuff the Army uses. SAPI plates even stop a seven-six-two round. Not a lot of morons running around here with high powered assault weapons though. Try it again and I'll show you a few of the techniques I learned during training. Even if we get caught, it would normally get blown off as a couple guys smacking each other around."

"Except for one thing, I'm officially informing you that you would be striking a Law Enforcement Official and I would be forced to place you under arrest. Care to add assaulting a cop and resisting arrest to the list of charges? So far you're only facing misdemeanors, but those two can become felonies."

"Who the hell are you?"

"Well, I guess that I'm Ayame's boyfriend. Least according to her."

"She said he was a cop and out of college already."

"Well, I graduated 'bout four years ago. I'm a genius, ya see. Literally." Wade reached into his back pocket and pulled out a wallet like detectives and plain clothes cops used and flashed a badge. "I'm also an agent of Global Justice."

"Now I could call NYPD and have you arrested for the charges I mentioned earlier. But I figure you're just a spoiled brat that needs to have his chain yanked a bit. So I'm gonna let ya slide this time."

"But if I find out that you keep bothering her, you're gonna have hell to pay. You keep hassling Ayame, then you and your family gets to face the same threat you pawned off on hers. Because your 'rents obviously don't have a clue about what you've been up to."

"And before you go too steamed and thinking you're better than anyone else, just remember your idiot Uncle and his cronies. They thought the same way. I tried to let them off easy with a warning too, look what happened to them. They're all facing charges of corruption and dereliction of duty."

"Let it go and enjoy your life. I checked into you and your family's background. You got a good chance at going to Harvard, Princeton or Yale when you graduate. The last thing you need is a juvenile record."

Wade picked up the pack and slung it over his shoulder and headed for the door. Grabbing the handle, he said, "I could beat you down hand-to-hand or place you under arrest, I have half a dozen lawyers on retainer to defend me from idiots like your Uncle, and I have so much money I could buy the company you Dad works for and have him fired in less then a week. You're so out-classed that going against us would be like sticking a kindergarten badminton team on the field against the Go City Ursines. You don't have the means to become more than an aggravation to us. Let it go!"

Wade opened the door leaving behind a shaken and livid Jeffery Jackson.

* * *

Outside the restroom, Wade started down the corridor towards the exit. He turned a corner to find a smirking Ron. "You need a ride home there, Wadester?"

"Ron? What're you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing, but I overheard most of you leaning on that guy. He's the one that sicced those CPS guys on Mr.C?"

"Looks that way. No hard evidence, but a whole lot of circumstantial stuff."

Ron looked at his friend, "Ya know, Sagara's tweaked at you."

"For what?"

"You broke the first rule of the Team, Wade. You know solo missions are a no-no."

Wade started walking to the exit, "This wasn't really a mission. It was personal."

Ron stopped him with a hand on his shoulder and glared at the teen, "Wade, even I wouldn't go for that. You flashed a badge and threatened him with an arrest. That makes it a mission."

Wade started down the hallway again. "Maybe, but after he turned those idiots loose I wanted make sure it stopped there."

"By the way, I meant to ask you. Why'd you get so torqued at those CPS guys?"

Wade answered, but kept walking, "It was before I took over Kim's site. I had a friend online. She was almost as smart as me. Her dad kept pushing her to try and go to college, but she wanted to stay in the same classes as people her age. He kept trying to force it though. Her family wasn't rich, they lived paycheck to paycheck. But she could have easily gotten a scholarship. One day he took her to an entrance exam and she bombed it, on purpose. When she blew the exam, he snapped and _disciplined_ her. He put her in a coma that lasted a month before she died."

"Come to find out, he was looking at her as a way to get rich. CPS had been told about her home life a couple of times by the school. They did nothing. From what I was able to dig up, the caseworker assigned to the case was the same kind of…" Wade paused, then snarled, "'**Crat** as those that went after Mr. Chidori."

"I can't prove it, but he was trying to make a name for himself. Working for Child Protection was just a stepping stone for him on his way to going into politics. He wanted to have a rep for hammering big name child abusers. He got one all right. The rep of someone that let a nine year old girl slip through the cracks and die."

Wade stopped and looked up at Ron, "She was one of the reasons I decided to start helping you and Kim. I figured the two of you would never let that happen."

Ron looked at his friend for a moment. He put his arm over the smaller boy's shoulder and said, "Come on Wade, let's go home. I got the Sloth in the parking lot."

* * *

A few days later, after much coercion, both Anne Possible and Barbara Stoppable relented into allowing their children to play host for Thanksgiving dinner. There were several arguments their children used to convince the Mothers that Team Possible headquarters was the best locale to hold the combined feast.

As large as the Stoppable back yard might have been, this was late November in middle of the Rockies. Other then being cold, the weather was apt to be unpredictable. Therefore it needed to be either under cover or inside.

Another factor Ron brought into play against the Mothers was that the house of neither parent had a Commercial Grade Kitchen and full-sized freight elevator to transport the victuals to the dining area in the Dojo where they were planning to serve the feast.

That led to the final nail in the coffin of the Mothers intentions. To the normal list of James, Anne, the Tweebs, Gene, Barbara, Kim, Ron and Rufus, this year added Hanna and two more guests in the form of Kaname and Sousuke. In previous years, as big as the Possible house was, seating for eight was doable, but packing eleven people in the dining room wasn't happening.

That wasn't counting the two 'surprise' guests only a select few knew were coming, bringing the total to thirteen. The only member of the Team to be left off the list was Wade because his parents wanted him home with them for the day.

After much consideration, Ron had even extended an invitation to Fukushima. The Swordmaster looked suspiciously at his student and asked him why he was doing so. Ron had asked to use Japanese when they were training only switching to English for clarifications. Ron shrugged and said slowly, _"This is America and its Thanksgiving. In this country, it's a holiday that's been set down for nearly three hundred years. Thanking Kami-sama for the bounty of the harvest, the fact you've lived to see another year, your family and friends, all the good things in your life. And for us, it's not one to be spent alone."_

Fukushima eyed Ron for a moment and said, "Gakusei_ Arigat__ō__. Iye, as you say, it is a time for family and friends. We are neither, nor are we likely to become so. Enjoy your time with them. In the meantime, I will retreat into the mountains for a few days for meditation._" Fukushima turned and headed to the showers. He looked back and said, _"Sensei planned for the American holidays by placing rest periods within the schedule he gave me for your training. Take the next few days to, I believe you Americans call it, _recharge_. After the holiday, we shall resume training. Prepare yourself; we will begin adding new elements for the Katana and other weapons to the regimen."_

Kim and Ron had won a victory in getting their Mothers to relent and let them host the dinner. That's not to say there weren't daily phone calls and/or visits to determine if any assistance was needed. But both Kim and Ron continually informed their Mothers they had things under control.

Kim kept trying to get Ron to let her help in the kitchen. It was the kitchen that lead to their first real fight. Kim was of the opinion that 'She could do anything!'. Ron knew better. He reminded her, "Uh, KP, do you remember the modifications we made to the kitchen? The fire suppression system?" Shortly after moving in, Ron, Sagara and Wade had installed a Commercial Grade Fire System over the stove.

Now it should be noted that Ron **had** been trying to teach her things that were both simple and tasty, that she could safely create without having the Cardox System (a commercial CO2 fire suppression system) go off. Dishes like salads using thinly sliced sandwich ham and turkey along with the supply of bacon and hard boiled eggs he kept pre-cooked in the refrigerator for her. Some chunked tomato and cucumber, grated carrots, shredded cheeses and a dressing and she had her lunch.

Or using the coffee maker to heat the water for Ramen or angel hair pastas. Adding some beef jerky and a few frozen veggies heated in the microwave to the Ramen made for a quick, tasty and, most importantly, safe soup. The angel hair received a similar treatment as the salads, substituting the pasta for the lettuce and using vinaigrette or Italian dressing.

Sandwiches were also on the Kim-safe menu. A can of tuna, drained, a bit of hard boiled egg, some of Ron's homemade relish, grated cheese, and ranch dressing and voila. BLT's were easy enough as well, though Ron kept her away from the bacon grease he saved and used as a flavoring at all cost. It was too explosive!

They had all found as long as she stayed with 'simple machines' (levers, inclined planes, and pulleys) she was OK. Using a knife was acceptable as well. But it was most electronics above the level of the can opener that were her bane. The refrigerator, microwave and coffeemaker were safe, but the high-end stove, the blender and Ron's' Cuisinart were off limits. Ron had even threatened to have Wade install a fingerprint scanner if she didn't leave them alone.

Ron had tried to be circumspect, but with Kimness in full effect, she wasn't hearing it. That is until he lost his temper and asked her, "Are you trying to kill everyone in the building."

Kim wasn't amused. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it sounded like. You and the Tweebs are the only people in the history of the state to have their own codes with the Fire Department." Ron was really aggravated by now. He pointed to a large red cylinder in the corner that had a pipe running from it to the area over the stove. "Can you name anyone else that has a 50 pound Cardox system in the kitchen? NO? Well, Kaname doesn't need it and I certainly don't. Hell, even Sagara Sousuke, the walking explosive disaster zone, doesn't need it.

"Denying the problem don't change things, Kim. Ron loses his pants for no reason. Denying the fact doesn't mean it don't happen. So I've accepted the fact that it happens and try to figure how to fix it.

"You are a catastrophe in the kitchen. Why? I have no idea. I don't really care, I love you anyway. But I accept the fact and try work around it!" With a trembling lip and shining eyes she turned and bolted from the kitchen. Ron sighed, "Awww man. Me and my big mouth."

In one of the small study offices Kaname and Sousuke were doing some of their assigned homework and had heard everything. Kaname told him, "Wait here unless I call for you." He nodded and she headed to the kitchen.

Ron had started to trail after Kim only to be intercepted by Kaname. While she really couldn't argue with Ron's statements, she did take issue with the way he said it. "This requires a girl's touch. I'll talk to her."

"Tell her I'm sorry about what I said."

"No, you're not. It needed to be said. I've had to help clean up after her a few times; I know what a disaster she is in there. It's not what you said. It's how you said it!"

* * *

Kaname bypassed Kim's door, figuring it was locked, and entered her room. She went through the bathroom and opened the other door. Kim was on her bed, knees drawn to her chest, arms around her legs with Pandaroo poking his head out above her knees. Kaname leaned against the doorjamb and crossed her arms. Cocking her head to the side she said, "Ron's a _Baka_."

Kim shifted just her eyes to the Japanese girl and muttered, "He's not an Idiot."

"Sure he is, he's a guy! And guys are _Baka_." Kaname grinned, "Why do you think I don't let Sousuke run around without a leash? There's no telling the trouble the guys would get into without us girls to keep them under control. Ron's the same way."

A rueful smile appeared on Kim face. Kaname's expression changed to a serious one as she sat on the bed and said, "That doesn't mean he was wrong though. He might have been a bit gentler, but he's right. There's too much going on in there for you to try and help. You've noticed I've stayed out of the way. Are you better in the kitchen than me?" Kim didn't look up, but her eyes widened. "Didn't think so. I tell you what I do think. I think you missed the important part of what he said."

Kim's shoulders slumped even more, "No, I caught it. I'm a 'catastrophe in the kitchen'."

"He did say that, and I can't argue with him on it, but that's not the important part. The part you should have been paying attention to was what he said right after that."

Kim raised her eyes and looked at her friend questioningly. "What'd he say?"

Kaname grinned, "I thought you missed that. You were too busy hearing 'catastrophe' to listen to the rest." Smiling at the red-head, she told her, "He said he doesn't care, he loves you anyway."

A look of wonder crossed Kim's face as she raised her head and the words filtered back into her mind. "Oh My God, he did say that didn't he?" Her shoulders slumped again, "Ron's not the _Baka_, I am!"

"He asked me to tell you he was sorry. Tell ya what, I'll go with you and take over for him for a while and you two straighten this out. How's that sound?"

"Thanks."

When they got to the living room, Kaname pointed to the patio, saying, "I'll send him out to you." Kim left through the sliding door and Kim entered the kitchen. She found Ron in the kitchen trying to finish his preparations for the next day. But she could tell that he was just going through the motions. Kaname took over and sent Ron on his way, calling for Sousuke to join her in the kitchen.

Over the last months, the patio had become a sort of neutral zone. It was quiet and with only one door; it offered a surprising amount of privacy. It had become the place they went when they wanted to talk or to be alone for a while. Ron had practically camped out there after Roger had been killed.

Kim was sitting on one of the hammock swings set against the wall of the apartment. She and Kaname had insisted upon them. They had movable canopies and Sousuke had added fabric sides and a small heater for when the weather turned. It had taken an act of Kaname-sama to make sure he didn't use a camouflaged pattern. There was even a small stack of folding tables leaning against the side of the elevator shaft.

She heard the door open, then close. She was sitting in the swing to the left of the door watching the setting sun, facing away from the door. She heard Ron take a breath and knew, instantly, he was about to apologize. "Don't."

"Uhh, don't what, Kim?"

She turned to look at him, "Don't apologize."

"But I was wrong for what I said."

She patted the spot beside her. "No, you weren't."

Ron took the offered seat and remained quiet as she snuggled into his side, pulling his arms around her, watching the sunset. Here on the eastern face of the Rockies, nighttime came fast as the sun dropped behind the mountains.

"Ron, I want you to know this isn't about you. It's about me. My whole life I've been able to do anything I set my mind to. Except for two things. The first was finding the right guy; I just kept screwing up it up."

She felt Ron stiffen, but she rolled over anything he could say. "But eventually I even got that right. I finally saw what was under my nose my entire life and noticed the one guy that had been there the whole time. The only one that would do anything for me. None of those guys in high school would have gone to the Amazon jungle just to get a flower to save me."

"Not even the guy I risked my life, like an idiot, to go out on a date with. And none of them would've stepped up to do what he did for me at Graduation. Not 'could have', but 'would have'. There's just one guy that would have done that. Even if he didn't have Mystical Monkey Power, he would have still risked his life for me."

While she had been talking she felt him relax again and tried to burrow deeper into his arms. "And now there's only one thing I can't seem to get right. And it's just sooooo frustrating." She growled the last. "Ronnie, I've never failed at anything I really wanted to do. Except cook. What is wrong with me?"

"KP, we all have our limitations. I mean without a LOT more training, I don't think I'd trust you to do brain surgery. That's what your Mom's for. And unless you've been taking a bunch of accounting classes I don't know about, I wouldn't let ya do the taxes on Team Possible either. That's why I hired a CPA. Even your Dad still hires Burn Burman every January 15th at the beginning of tax season. And MrDrP is a 'Rocket Scientist'." She could hear his voice rumbling in his chest as he answered. It was a comforting sound that never failed to relax her.

"But, God forbid, if something happened on a mission and one of us got hurt, that's why we've all been taking those Combat First Responder classes. I'd trust ya to do what ya have to do. And I know you'd be just fine doing your own 1040A."

Ron paused because he knew he was about to enter touchy territory, "Cooking is the same way." Longer pause. He took a breath and dove in, "You shouldn't try to make 'Death by Chocolate' or a Thanksgiving dinner, but have I ever refused it when you make us a snack or a salad or that soup I taught you?"

She answered quietly, "No."

"There ya go. It's all about degrees and knowing your limits." Ron's tone changed to a slightly harder one, "I know you can still kick my biscuit hand-to-hand in the Dojo. But if I got my hands on a Katana or a Bo, what would you do?"

She smiled, "Stay out of range and try to figure a way to disarm you."

"Why?"

She rolled to face him. "Because since you've started training with Sagara and that, grrrr, Fukushima, you've gotten a lot better with weapons."

"Now, KP, he's settled down a lot in the last couple of weeks."

"He's still arrogant."

I'll grant you that. For him, part of it's cultural. Another part is, he really is, 'that good'. I think the only reasons I beat him last time was he wasn't expecting it and underestimated me and I unconsciously used the MMP." Ron grinned, "I must getting better though 'cause he won't let me touch the Lotus Blade while we're training."

Kim smiled, "We'll have to see how much better you've gotten then." she dropped the smile saying, "But we're getting off-track. Ronnie, I'm sorry. It's just that my 'rents are coming too and I want to help with our first Thanksgiving dinner."

"I know ya do, KP. And I'm glad for the help." Ron looked stern now, "As long as you remember limitations. You wanna cut veggies, OK. You wanna grab something I ask for, OK. Your mom has Nurses and Assistants in the OR. She asks for an instrument and one of them passes it to her. But the Nurse keeps their hands out of the patient's skull, don't they?"

Kim beamed at him, "Ron, you're the greatest." As she lowered her face to his, she said, "And I love you, too."

* * *

Back in the kitchen Sousuke was getting instruction on preparing fresh green beans as Kaname kept an eye on the stocks and roux simmering on the stove. The two of them enjoying the simple act of spending time together.

Sousuke looked around noting the vast amount of food Ron had laid out. "Kaname-chan, there is going to be more food here then can possibly be eaten in one sitting. Even with the addition of both the Possible and Stoppable families."

She looked at him in shock and sympathy as something occurred to her. Not only was Thanksgiving a day that the Soldier had never celebrated, it was one he never had the chance to. He'd lost his family too early. Her heart felt like it was breaking at the things that had been denied him as a child.

She lowered the heat on the stove, walked to him and gently took the bean he had in his hands and set it in the pot. She set him in a chair, sat in his lap and said, "That's because it's Thanksgiving, Sousuke. It's a day of thanking God for all the good in the past year. When I was younger and living in America the first time, my Mother had taken to the holiday with a will. The idea of setting aside a day to give thanks to the Higher Powers, be they God or Kami, appealed to both my Parents."

"I remember it was one of the few times Daddy never grumbled about not having Japanese dishes for dinner." While they waited for Ron to return, she told him about spending the holiday with her family and how much she enjoyed it and how much she missed her Mother during the holiday.

She looked at him very seriously and said, "Sousuke, there's something I want you to know. As much as I miss being with my family, right here, right now, I can't think of anybody I'd rather be with on Thanksgiving than you."

Sousuke had learned a lot in the last two years of being around the young woman. And one of the things he had learned was, when she said something like that, it required a certain response. He showed he had learned the lesson well as he tilted his head to the side and leaned in, giving her a kiss that curled her toes.

When they broke for air, she gave him the sunbeam smile that never failed to leave him in awe. She stood and playfully said, "Those beans won't clean themselves, so get to work."

As he continued to snap the ends off of the fresh green beans, watching her as she floated around the kitchen, Sousuke was thinking. Listening to Kaname talk of Thanksgiving's past had given Sousuke an idea. He excused himself to "Use to latrine. ", pulling his cell once he was out of the kitchen. It was a few hours later there, but Sousuke made the phone call anyway.

* * *

The next morning, Kaname awoke to discover that her boyfriend was missing. Not finding him in the apartment, she found Kim and Ron snuggling on the couch and asked if they knew where Sousuke was. Ron jumped up saying, "Igottachecktheturkey! Bye!" and bolted.

"Kim?"

The redhead had a knowing grin, "Sagara said he had to go pick something up. But I heard the elevator a minute ago; I think he's coming up now." She turned to follow Ron, "I'm gonna see if Ron has anything ready to take downstairs."

Wondering what was up with her friends, Kaname went to meet her beau. But it was a frazzled Shunya and pumped Ayame that first exited the elevator. Kaname's shock was total at seeing her Father and Sister standing in the doorway. Jumping into her Fathers arms with, "DADDY, _imouto-chan, _what are you doing here?"

Shunya said, "For the answer to that, you should ask him." he pointed to Sousuke behind him.

She looked at the young man and he said, "I thought about what you said last night. You're telling me about how much you enjoyed spending the American holidays with your family when you were younger. Since this is supposed to be a family holiday, I guessed you would like to have them here."

She slammed into Sousuke with tears of joy in her eyes. Holding him tightly, her face in his chest, she said, "Sometimes I think you're the most clueless guy in the world, and then you do something like this. Thank you!"

"My pleasure, Kaname-chan."

Kaname looked at her relatives, noticing her fathers sweating, "Daddy, what's wrong?"

He had pulled out a handkerchief and was blotting at his forehead, "Let us just say the trip here was… interesting."

A stoked Ayame was a bit more eloquent, "Interesting? Is that all you gotta say? That was the best ride I've ever been on! I can't wait till we get to go home!"

"And I am dreading it!"

Kaname had an idea what they were talking about, "Sousuke?"

"I bought them here the same way we got to New York last week. Sub-orbital flight in Possible-san's vehicle."

Looking at her Father, Kaname said, "Come on, Daddy, it couldn't have been that bad. I've ridden in it on several flights. It's perfectly safe."

"I didn't say it wasn't safe. And it's not the 'flight' part that is disturbing. It's the takeoff and reentry!"

Ayame jumped in with, "Other than being weightless that was the best part!" She looked at Kaname and said, "You're really lucky, Nee-chan! You get to do that all the time!"

Kaname set her hands on her Sister's shoulders, looked her straight in the eye and, with a very serious voice, said, "Yes, we do. But you have to remember that we usually only get to do things like that when we're on a mission. Usually because somebody's threatening something."

Ayame sobered quickly remembering seeing her Sister dressed for action in body armor and armed to the teeth, rushing out of the garage after hustling her and her father into the lab, preparing to face an armed enemy. She rallied quickly, "Yeah, but still! You can't tell me it's not a rush."

Kaname grinned, "I didn't say that. For me the only thing better is taking Eleanor to the track. Come on, dinner will be ready soon." As she passed by she gave Sousuke a peck on the cheek.

Shunya noted the easy familiarity of the gesture and caught the young mans sleeve. When the girls were out of earshot, he asked, "You remember what we talked about before I left the last time. Your given word, correct?"

"Of course Chidori-san. I told you then that I am inexperienced with interpersonal relations, so I let myself be guided by Kaname-chan. The last thing I wish to do is cause her harm."

Seeing the intensity within the younger man's eyes and knowing how his Daughter felt about him, Shunya gave a melancholy smile and cryptically said, "Young man, I don't think you realize that a time is going to come, when if you don't hurt her a little bit, you will hurt her a lot."

Sousuke was confused and said, "Sir?"

Seeing Sousuke's confusion, Shunya placed a hand on the young mans shoulder and replied, "Don't worry about it. I'm sure that when the time is right, she will explain it to you."

"Affirmative."

Shunya pulled a small box from his jacket pocket, "I have something for her. It belonged to her Mother. Her Mother wanted Kana-chan to have it and it's time that she did." He passed the box to Sousuke. "I know how you feel about my Daughter, young man, and I can't think anyone else I rather have give it to her then you." As Sousuke opened the box, Shunya asked, "You know what that is, what it represents?"

Sousuke swallowed, "Yes Sir."

"Good. Don't make her wait too long young man; my Daughter can have a fearsome temper."

"Of that I am well aware, Sir."

"So I've heard. She comes by it honestly. Come; let us join the rest of the group before she gets suspicious."

"Yes, Sir."

* * *

Shortly after the Chidori's arrival, the Possible and Stoppable clans arrived. With the help of all assembled, the Dojo was turned into an impromptu dining hall using the small stack of folding chairs Sousuke had procured in case they needed to give a briefing to operatives outside of the Team and the folding tables the Team kept on the roof for an alfresco luncheon or dinner.

For everyone the entertainment started early. The first thing was Hana and Rufus. He stayed on her shoulders, shifting from one side to the other, chittering at her. She was thrilled by the new environment, toddling around trying to see everything.

But when she tried to do something that would get her, or more likely someone else, hurt, Rufus would chatter at her and she would pause. She would look at the naked mole-rat for a moment and ask what would obviously be a question in a 15 month-olds dialect. Rufus would squeak an answer and she would head in another direction.

Kim and Ron were shocked to say the least. Both vividly remembered trying to corral the "Super Baby from Project Jugger-tot" who was a Master of "Tot Kwon Do" and keep her from running across the **ceiling**, let alone crawling under the coffee table "Uhhhhhh, Mom, how long has this been going on?"

"Since shortly after you moved over to Roger's place, Thank Yahweh. I don't think we could have handled her without that brave little mole-rat. He's kept her out of more trouble than I care to even think about. The daycare won't even take her anymore, unless Rufus is with her!"

For most of the adult members of the group, including Kim, Ron and Kaname, but excluding Sousuke and, strangely, Anne Possible, the next bit of entertainment came from a different direction. Even if he had been entertained, Sousuke wouldn't have let on even under thumbscrews.

Anne on the other hand was realizing that maybe she had been a bit too hard on her husband during Kim's dating years, because while she wasn't likely to threaten a deep space probe, she was now considering a brain transplant.

The Tweebs had discovered GIRLS. Specifically one girl, named Ayame! She was like a flower with a couple of bees buzzing around her. Jim and Tim hadn't met the Japanese girl the last time she had come to Middleton and they were torqued at their older sister for not introducing them to her. Grrrrr!

Surprisingly, even Shunya was amused because he knew something the boys didn't.

And that was that Ayame's only problem with the Thanksgiving Day visit was that her hero wasn't there. And she was mad at her older sister for not making it happen. Grrrrr!

All in all, it wasn't a good day to be an older sister.

While the adults talked amongst themselves, they all watched the angst and drama. It wasn't long before the females realized that there was a game being played. As Jim and Tim kept trying to turn the conversation to something else, Ayame kept asking them questions about WADE. And she knew exactly what was going on. She did nothing to encourage the boys. But more importantly, she didn't discourage them either.

Kim, who was grinning like a fool, looked at Kaname and said, "Oooooo, she's gonna be good when she get's older."

Kaname wiped away a crocodile tear, answered, "I'm so proud of my little sister."

Kim told her with a savage grin, "I gotta thank her later. Your little sis is giving me some great payback. Those two practically tortured me in high school. They were a blight on my teenage years. All that 'Sittin in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G' when I was trying to get ready for a date. The little pests. And when me and Ron started getting serious, they were insufferable!"

The Japanese girl looked at her friend, "I always wanted a little brother. I only had Ayame when I was younger."

Kim stared back with narrowed eyes, "I would a traded ya in an instant, probably would a thrown in Pandaroo as an incentive bonus.

"They were that bad?"

"You have no idea! Little brothers are a teenage girl's bane!"

* * *

Using a couple of the equipment carts they had cleaned and covered with a cloth, Ron, Sousuke, Kim and Kaname brought the rest of the food down to the Dojo. When they arrived, there was a bit of confusion. They had set out four of the tables in a large rectangle, leaving room at both the head and foot for two people to sit side-by-side.

The young adults noted that everyone had taken places at the sides of the table, Mr. Chidori on one end, Ayame beside him. Across from them were the Tweebs gazing at an apparently oblivious Ayame. She wasn't paying them any mind because she was tickling Hana in a highchair beside her, Rufus on her shoulder. Beside Hana was Barbara, then Gene. Across from the Stoppables were James and Anne.

But both ends of the table were left open.

"Uhh, MrDrP, aren't you going to sit there?" Ron was pointing to 'there', the head of the table. Traditionally, in the Possible home, James was the one that sat at the head of the table. In the Stoppable home it was Gene. And since the Possibles had the larger home, by default, it had normally been their home that held most of the Thanksgivings throughout the years.

James answered, "No Ronald."

Ron was still confused, "Why not?"

James first looked at Ron, "Because this isn't my home, Ronald." Then at his daughter, "It's yours'." Back to Ron, "And sitting at the head of the table here, isn't my place." Unseen below the table, a beaming Anne set her hand on her husband knee.

The hosts set out the remainder of the feast and took their places. When they were seated, his Father said, "Ronald, would you be kind enough to give the Blessing? It is your home after all."

Ron said, "Funny you should mention that, Dad. It's like Dr.P said, KP and I live here now, and it's our home. But we don't own it." Ron gave his goofy grin and pointed to the other end of the table, "He does."

Now the spotlight was squarely focused on the young man. He was starting to sweat when he looked around the table at the guests. He felt someone take his hand and looked to his side and saw the smile she only had for him. She said, "The Blessing is just giving thanks, Sousuke." He knew. Right then, he knew the time had come.

"I am reminded of a quote from Churchill, 'When you're going through Hell, keep going.' For many years that was the only thing I did. 'Keep going.' It seemed that I was living in Hell and the only thing I had to be thankful for was surviving another day. I never knew if I would have a safe place to sleep or enough food to eat. The people I thought were my friends merely used me as tool for their own agendas."

"Then I met people that really cared about me. Not for what I could do for them, but for myself. Not the Soldier or the Arm Slave pilot, but Sousuke Sagara. They were the reason I met Kaname-chan then the rest of you. I am thankful to Andre Kalinin for getting me out of the mountains and being a mentor, Tessa Testarossa, Melissa Mao and Kurz Weber for being my first real friends and being there when I needed them. To Kimberly-san, Ronald-san and Wade-sensei for allowing me into their lives and being my friends."

He swallowed and looked at the young woman at his side. "But the thing I am most thankful for is Kaname Chidori. For showing me not just how to exist, but how to live. My friends gave me back my life, but she was the one that showed me what it meant."

He had gone into Combat with five to one odds against and not had his heart pound this hard in his chest. He had faced lunatics bent on killing whole cities and not been this nervous. With a visibly trembling hand, he set a small velvet covered box on the table in front of her. "And I would be Honored if she would allow me to spend the rest of it, trying to repay her for that."


	39. My Heart Will Go On

My Heart Will Go On

Theme from the movie Titanic

Sung by Celine Dion

watch?v=xVTlpQlUNFI&NR=1&feature=fvwp

START

As a personal request, I ask you all to watch this youtube video BEFORE you read the chapter, then listen as you read. I will explain in the footnotes.

* * *

There are those moments of time in a persons life where it seems the entire universe would pause; no sound, no movement, nothing. For most of the occupants of the Team Dojo, this was one of them.

The Soldier had stolen the march on EVERYONE there, except for one other person. The only one that wasn't staring with a stupefied expression was Chidori Shunya, Japanese representative to the United Nations. Sousuke had gone about this like it was another Military operation and achieved 'Total Surprise', blindsiding his 'Opponents' better then his Japanese forebears did on December 7th 1941. And none of them was more surprised than Chidori Kaname!

_Every night in my dreams,  
__I see you. I feel you.  
That is how I know you go on.  
_  
She looked from the strangely familiar box to the person that set it in front of her, back to the box. She slowly reached for the tiny container sitting in front of her, her hands trembling harder then the one that placed it in front of her. Slowly, like she was handling live explosives, she opened the box.

_Far across the distance  
And spaces between us  
You have come to show you go on.  
_

Nestled inside was a ring, with a single perfect diamond surrounded by a quartet of flawless sapphires. She knew this ring! It had once adorned the hand of someone she missed so much, the loss still hurt years later. It would probably hurt her for the rest of her life.

Seeing the contents of the velvet covered box, she gasped, "_Okaa-san! (Mother!)"_ She was so startled she covered her mouth with her hands and dropped the box to the table. Her head snapped to her other side, eyes locking on her Fathers. The latest missile guidance packages couldn't have tracked faster. Her Father was cloaking himself in his armor of Japanese stoicism, locking his face into a totally neutral mien. But she could tell. She was her Fathers daughter after all.

_Near, far, wherever you are  
I believe that the heart does go on  
Once more you open the door  
And you're here in my heart  
And my heart will go on and on  
_

His eyes gave it away. He approved! He must have. The only possible way Sousuke could have gotten **this** ring was if her Father had given it to him. She turned back to her boyfriend to stare at him in wide-eyed, open-mouthed wonder. For someone that didn't know him very well, it would seem he was a bit nervous. Even her Father could tell that.

_Love can touch us one time  
And last for a lifetime  
And never go till we're one  
_

He huskily whispered the fateful question, "Kana-chan, will you marry me?" The set of his jaw, the stiffness of his shoulders, the look in his eyes all spoke to her of a man scared out of his wits. He was terrified. Of her and her answer.

_Love was when I loved you  
One true time I hold to  
In my life we'll always go on  
_

Shocked, flabbergasted, astonished, staggered, amazed, dumbfounded, bowled over, astounded, surprised, flummoxed, and even gobsmacked. Any and all of these adjectives could apply to the young woman.

Until this moment, she never knew how fast a persons mind could run. Her thoughts were bounding around inside her head like the atoms of a chunk of enriched U238 inside a nuclear reactor in a chain reaction. 'OH Kami-sama, did he just ask what I think he did? Is he serious? BAKA! What am I thinking? Of course he's serious! This is Sagara Sousuke, the single most humorless man on the planet. He can't tell a joke even to save MY life, let alone his!'

For her, there was only one answer. The only one she could possibly give him. She picked up the box, reached for his hands and set it in them. Looking into his storm-gray eyes, to stunned to remember her English, she reverted to her native Japanese, timorously stuttering her answer. "Ha, ha, hai!", and offered her quaking left hand.

_Near, far, wherever you are.  
I believe that the heart does go on.  
Once more you open the door  
And you're here in my heart.  
And my heart will go on and on.  
_

They both watched the action as he carefully pulled the ring out and, with trembling hands, gently slid it on her finger. It fit almost like it had been sized for her. Once the ring was settled in place, they looked into each others eyes and she slammed into him for the second time that day, this time knocking him backwards to the floor. Neither noticed the fall as she smothered his face with kisses.

Ron screamed, "BOOOOYAAAAAAAAA!" He was so excited he knocked his chair over.

The couple settled into a deep kiss paying no attention to the pandemonium erupting around them. All of the women were squealing and most had tears flowing. They had left there seats and were now crowding around the new fiancés. Ayame bounded around the outside of the circle shouting about how she had a new brother.

Waiting for the women to release the young man, James, Gene, Ron and Shunya were standing close together watching the females accost the newly engaged couple. With a sad look, James leaned to the blond young man and whispered, "I hope you were paying attention to that, Ronald!" Both Gene and Shunya nodded sagely.

"What'd ya mean MrDrP?" James didn't answer, merely looked back at the group surrounding the couple.

Gene answered for his friend, "What he means, Ronald, is we would suggest you keep these events in mind for future reference, because you have a hard act to follow."

"Huh?" Ron looked from his Father to James to the couple being mugged back to James. He noticed the older man was no longer looking at him. He was poignantly watching the red-headed young woman gushing to her friend. Then it occurred to Ron exactly what James was alluding to. "Ohhhh!"

_You're here, there's nothing I fear,  
And I know that my heart will go on  
We'll stay forever this way  
You are safe in my heart  
And my heart will go on and on _

Gulping he said, "Understood, Sir."

* * *

A couple of hours later, everyone was upstairs listening to Sousuke play the Fender and singing Karaoke. Kim and Ron's friends from high school Felix and Monique had arrived a while ago and Wade had returned from his parents. Kaname noticed her father slipping out of the living room for the patio. "I'll be back in a bit." Sousuke just gave a curt nod. Then she went looking for her father.

When she closed the patio door and looked around she didn't she him. Looking to the side she spotted the ladder to apartment roof on the side of the elevator shaft. Shimmying up, she found her father standing on the north side of the roof, leaning against the rail, looking into the night sky.

She slowly approached him, the roofing material making a slight grinding noise under her feet. He turned his head to find his daughter standing there, backlit by the lights from the city and the moon high in the sky. In one hand was a small metal tumbler, the other held a flask. He tossed the contents of the tumbler over the side the roof and slipped the set into a jacket pocket. He offered her his arms, pulling her into his embrace.

She leaned into her father, smelling his cologne, the wool of his suit, the faint whiff of Sake and a hint of cigar. All the smells that to a little Kana-chan meant Papa, _Otoo-san_. Her daddy.

He pushed her back, holding her shoulders, looking her in the face. Cupping her cheek, he said, "Look at you. All grown up. College student, majoring in physics no less, living on your own and working with a Team going around and saving the world. And now you're engaged to be married. Kana-chan, your mother would be so proud of you."

She had a question burning within her. She had to ask it. Curiosity was killing her. "Daddy, I know what it meant to you, _Kaa-sans _ring. Why did you give it to him?"

"The first reason was your mother wanted you to have it. As to the second… You know, as a younger man, I was a bit of a rogue." Seeing the look of surprised disbelief on her face he grinned, "Oh nothing major, let's just say there's a reason your mother would never let me get another motorcycle and leave it at that. She was the one that whipped me into shape though."

He held her under his arm as he turned his eyes back up to the night sky. "The first time I saw her, was at the Omiai (oh-me-eye, a formal meeting between parents and their marriageable children). Kami, the temper she had. She refused to wear the traditional Kimono. Instead she wore a pair of denim jeans and sweatshirt underneath the Kimono, and just before my family arrived she went to the restroom and got rid of the Kimono."

"It wasn't that she disrespected my family or even hers. She was making a point. And the point was she would accede to the families' wishes and go through with the marriage, but she would never be the traditional Edo period Japanese housewife. And she made that point very well known. After her little display, my parents were about to leave talking about another girl from the same family. But I refused.

"She was so beautiful. Sixteen and with a fire you could see not just in her eyes, but in her entire being. I was nineteen and instantly smitten. We started to date and as we got to know each other better, she called me her _Senzai-tekina sh__ō__nen_." Hearing the term Kaname's jaw dropped. She had heard Kim calling Ron the English version. 'Potential Boy'.

"She said she saw within me the potential to be something greater thing the _B__ō__s__ō__zoku_ I had been." The shocks for Kaname kept coming. First, out of nowhere, Sousuke asks her to marry him. Now she was finding out her staid law-abiding Father had been a member of one of those "violent running tribe" gangs.

He looked at her and noticed her expression. Grinning wryly he said, "I'm not say it was the right thing to be doing, there was just something about being the _sent__ō__sha_, (the leader) as we roared through the streets of Tokyo, a hundred strong, looking for a fight!"

"She gave me an ultimatum though. Settle down a bit, knuckle down and complete my studies. Go to college and make something of myself or she would have her parents dissolve the arrangements. Our parents, both sets, wanted the marriage to succeed, but that wasn't the reason I did as your mother asked. It was because I couldn't stand to be without her."

"Now, I look at you and I see her standing there. You have the same fire she did, that same courage and determination to let nothing stand in the way of her heart. Oh make no mistake; there were times I had to break her will to mine. Usually over the few times she let her desire for some fashion override her fiscal sense. But it didn't happen often, your mother was too pragmatic."

"Chidori Kaname-chan, you are my eldest daughter, my pride and joy. I know I don't say it very often, but I love you so very much. And I am so proud of you."

"I see you looking at him the same way your mother looked at me and I couldn't find it within myself to deny you the same happiness, the same joy that we shared. The only thing that worries me is that Sagara-san is a Soldier. He could be taken from you tomorrow or thirty years from now.

"That was the reason I gave your man that ring and pushed him a bit. I was the one that told him not to wait to long. Because I want you to be happy. I want everyday, for the rest of your life to be filled with joy and love. And he makes you happy."

"It's as simple as that Kana-chan."

Authors Note:

To be honest, I had no intention of even setting the scene to music, but when I came across this version I knew it was the one for this opening of this chapter. I would just like to say that I had a specific reason for choosing this particular version of the song.

The Duke! With his co-star Maureen O'Hara they made a total of five movies together. Everyone a Classic showing Love, Courage, Fortitude, and 'Grit'.

In case some of you, my gentle readers, haven't figured it out, I am a HUGE John Wayne fan. I grew up watching 'The Duke'. Big Jake, The Searchers, McLintock, The Quiet Man, Hondo, True Grit and Rooster Cogburn and all the rest of his movies.

I remember as a young boy being nearly in tears as The Duke died in his last film, The Shootist! He was the Hero! How could the Hero be killed? And it was my Papaw that explained that even Hero's sometimes die. Often in the act of becoming a Hero.

I, along with my two brothers, was raised by our mother without a steady male role model. The Duke was the best we had. One of my step-fathers taught me to swim the same way Hondo Lane taught his soon to be stepson. By literally being tossed in to the lake by the seat of the pants. The only difference was I was launched with the admonition of "Swim or drown M***** F*****!"

I was 14 when he passed from this earth and I'm not ashamed to admit that I did cry then.

Ask ANYONE that knew the man and they would tell you that there was little difference between his on-screen portrayals and his off-screen 'character'.

He was a man rooted in the concepts of Honor, Integrity and Personal Accountability. A persons misdeeds were not the fault of Society or the System or the Schools or even the parents. A man was responsible for his own actions and the blame for something could be placed NO WHERE but at the foot of the one that violated the standards of Common Decency.

He was the quintessential American who would be in tears at how far his beloved Republic has fallen. Where nothing is the fault of the one performing the actions. It's always someone or something else's.

To me his life and philosophy could be summed up in a single quote.

John Bernard Books (The Shootist): "I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted and I won't be put a hand on. I won't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them."


	40. Over The Mountian

TheRedKommie asked a question in his last review, the answer to which is. No, I never got lucky enough to be stationed in Japan. I got shuffled between Fort Campbell and Alaska. However, I did take a leave in Okinawa once. That was a blast!

Over The Mountian

Ozzy Osborne

_.com/watch?v=4PE7Y04JU6o_

Chapter 40 Over The Mountain

After the excitement of Sousuke's proposal died down, most of the diners returned to their seats. Kim and Ron proceeded to lay out the rest of the massive feast Ron had produced. There was the traditional turkey and home-made cornbread stuffing, ham, corn on the cob, peas, potatoes, both mashed and au gratin, seasoned green beans, candied yams, cranberry sauce.

In addition to all the staples of a Thanksgiving feast, Ron had a few surprises on one of the carts. On a warming tray, under a chafing lid were pumpkin, blueberry and apple pies. All of it 'ala mode' with home-made vanilla ice cream kept in a container of dry ice. He also had his 'Seven Layers of Heaven' hidden under another stainless steel dome.

Once Kim and Ron had the food laid out, Ron stepped back and from somewhere produced a carving knife and rat's tail. He started to hone the knife so fast that more then one of the people who knew how uncoordinated Ron could be grew nervous. Kim simply took her seat with a totally unconcerned look, showing complete trust in her guy standing behind her with a flashing blade that was becoming sharper with each stroke.

When Ron started to carve the bird, he asked who wanted what and passed the dark meat first. When he sliced the breast into almost paper-thin sheets, he showed just how sharp the knife was. When he finished, before he set it on the tray he showed her the knife and quietly said, "Thank you."

In the same quiet tone, "I trust you with my life, Ron." She glanced at the other end of the table to the pair who were paying no attention to anyone else, back to him and said, "Always have, always will." Then she smiled an evil grin, "Now a big red button on the other hand….."

"Rrrrr, you.."

She silenced him with a quick kiss, and then said "Let's eat."

* * *

Hana, who might have been more coordinated than a regular 15 month old, insisting on feeding herself. But she was still a 15 month old; getting more food on her high chair tray and face and hands then in her mouth. A sitch Rufus was absolutely thrilled about as he scampered from his spot on her shoulders, down one arm, across the tray and back the other arm up to the opposite shoulder. When he zipped across the tray, to Hana's evident delight, any food not on the plate disappeared.

Kaname had scooted her chair a bit closer to Sousuke's, so close they rubbed elbows as they ate. Neither cared, from time to time they would just glance at each other with a dreamy expression and pause their eating to just gaze at each other until something brought them back to the room. The rest of the guests left them to their entertainment, concentrating instead on their own plates.

The women, Ayame included, had similar dreamy expressions with Anne being the worst. Even Ron wasn't clueless enough not to know why she would look from the newly engaged couple to her daughter, then sigh and giggle. The worst was when she would glance at him and wink. He blushed every time she did it. Kim wasn't worried about it. She had already decided that when Ron asked her the same question what her answer would be.

The men didn't have the faraway look the women did. They all had the look of men who thought all was right in the world. Jim and Tim hadn't decided whether to gag and mock the new fiancés (actions they figured would earn them the wrath of every woman in the room, Ayame included and probably the men at the table as well, two of which had killed their enemies in Combat) or to be happy for the couple.

Instead they settled for trying to continue pre-teen flirting with the Japanese girl across from them. To no avail; she was too involved with either trying and failing to get her sister's attention and playing with the toddler to her side, much to the Tweebs frustration and the amusement of everyone else except for Kaname and Sousuke, who didn't even notice.

* * *

Groaning, Shunya pushed himself back a bit from the table pulling at his waistband. Not satisfied with the result he had no choice. He said, "Everyone, please excuse me." He reached down and loosened his belt, letting out a relieved sigh. "I haven't needed to do that since the Thanksgiving before Kaname's mother passed away."

He looked at Ron and said, "Young man, if you ever need employment, I am on excellent terms with many of the finest restaurants in New York and Tokyo. Five star establishments, every one. Say the word and you'll have a glowing recommendation. It will be enough to at least get you a working interview and once they taste the way you cook, they will shackle you to the stove to make sure you don't escape."

Ron got his goofy grin and said, "I've had a lot of super-villains try that, Sir. And between me and KP, they haven't been able to yet."

He pointed to the cart and said, "That 'Seven Layers of Heaven' tells me that those 'super-villains' haven't been desperate enough. I'm quite serious, there are two establishments in New York and at least half a dozen I know in Tokyo that would give you a low to middle six figure salary to have you working for them."

Ron was slack-jawed, "Ha, ha, half a million, for cooking?"

"In New York? No. The best establishments there would start someone of your talents at close to hundred thousand American dollars. Tokyo on the other hand…"

He paused, considering, "You see in Tokyo they can find chefs for Japanese cuisine much easier then for Western. So a talented chef experienced in Western cuisine would be given a premium salary. Especially considering the cost of living in Japan. It would likely be 25 to 30 million Yen, say 300 to 350 thousand American dollars. To start."

"For cooking?"

"No, young man, not for 'cooking'. For creating 'Art'. And I can assure you that what you have demonstrated here today was just that. Edible art. I don't have hard figures, but I have reason to believe you will never be, the American term is, 'broke'. But, suffice it to say that as long as you can create that 'art', neither would you lack for employment opportunities."

* * *

After the dinner was finished, most of the group helped gather the leftovers and carted them to the kitchen. The rest gathered the dishes and organized them into assorted loads for the dishwasher, rinsing and stacking the rest on the counter for when the current load finished.

While most of them brought up the dishes, Ron, with the help of Anne and Barbara, went about assembling several packages for the guests to take home with them. He had watched the diners carefully to see what they seemed to like the best and packed accordingly.

Once the food was taken care of the men moved several of the chairs upstairs and replaced the folding tables back against the elevator shaft on the roof. Kim left in the Sloth to pick up Wade.

While she was gone she got a call on her cell. Monique had come home for Thanksgiving break from Duke University. She had called the Possible house and even drove by there. Not finding anyone home she called Kim asking to come visit. Kim was ecstatic. Once she had Wade, she drove to meet her BGF and have Monique follow her back to the garage.

Entering the garage, Wade broke off, heading for the stairs. He knew Ron had plenty of leftovers and wanted to dig in. After watching a news special on overweight kids last week, his mom had decided that he needed a diet and had restricted the amount of food on his plate; on Thanksgiving of all days! It wasn't as if he needed a diet anyway. While he hadn't lost any weight, over the last months, the weight he carried had changed to lean muscle. For some reason, both Kim and Ron had this vision of a totally ripped Wade towering over them, arms bigger then their thighs.

Monique exited her parent's car and wasn't impressed at first, "Girlfriend, WUWTP? You live in a garage?"

"Naa, this is just the garage where we keep the vehicles, there's more to this place than meets the eye. It's become our base of operations."

Monique noticed the Duck backed along the wall across from the other cars. She pointed and said, "I saw you on the news a couple weeks ago, during that flood. Girl, I gotta tell ya, I thought you were a goner that time."

"If it hadn't been for Sagara knowing how to jury-rig the Duck, we might a been." She started heading for the stairs down to the Armory. "Come on, I gotta do something before we go up to the apartment."

As they walked, Monique leered and asked, "Sagara? Is that, that cute guy you had with you during the flood?"

As they descended the stairs, Kim knowing her friend said, "Mon, I'm gonna give you a two a pieces of advice about Sagara. First: he's OFF LIMITS, try and make a move on him and his new fiancée will likely rip you apart. She's Combat trained and even though we're home, I'll bet she still has her gun on her."

"Gun?"

Kim's face grew sad and pensive. She opened the palm-lock to the Armory. When the door opened, Kim entered the Armory followed by Monique. "Changing times, Mon."

Along one wall, there was a bench with Armorer's tools and shelves holding locked pistol racks. On the other there were locked racks holding several different types of rifles and automatic weapons. M-4's, AK-74's, FN2000's, M249's and M240B's. Near the back end of the racks were long guns and crew served weapons, Barrett .50 Cal. Sniper rifles and Browning M2 Machine Guns. Even a couple Mk 32 MGL's.

Against the back there was a drum half full of empty brass and stacked wooden boxes marked with things like 9MM, 10 MM and .40 CAL PIS, 5.56x45 and 5.45X39 ball, 5.56 and 7.62 LINK 4-1 FMJ/TRACE, .50 CAL 4-1 AP/TRACE, 40MM FRAG, 40MM ANTI-PERS or 40MM INCND. Other boxes were marked GND/ followed with either FRAG, SMOKE, INCND or FL/BANG.

The young woman could only look around wide-eyed. The only word she could come up with was, "Whoa!"

Kim answered, "I know."

"Kim, there's enough stuff in here to start a small war!"

She sighed, "I know." She reached behind her back, pulled and safed her Ruger, walking to a set of racks that had the name of each Team member stenciled on it. In each rack was an M4, a shotgun with a pistol grip and a either a holstered pistol or an empty holster. Kim's was one of the empties.

"Kim? Since when do you pack heat?"

Kim started to secure the Ruger in her rack and said, "Since Sagara and Kaname got here. I don't like it, but this pistol is the only reason Wade's alive."

"WHAT?"

Kim closed her eyes and took a shuddering breath, "I'd rather not talk about it. Ask Wade or Ron. No, better yet, ask Sagara! He knows the details and it won't bother him to tell you what happened like it would Ron and Wade."

As they left the Armory, Monique said, "You said you had two things to tell me abut him. What's the other?"

Kim locked the door, answering, "Until he knows you better, DON'T startle him. You probably won't like his reaction and his reflexes are almost as good as mine. The difference between us is, my first reaction would be to disarm you, his might not be."

Seeing the look Monique was giving her, while they were walking upstairs, Kim explained. Telling her friend about Ron breaking up the PDA between the Japanese couple the first night they were there.

"Mon, I'm serious! When Ron hit the glass, I thought time had to have stopped for a few seconds. One instant those two were making out on the line, the next Sagara had his Glock drawn and aimed dead at us. Somehow he had even placed Kaname behind him, shielding her. That was before the empty clip from Kaname's gun hit the floor and she reloaded. And she had the mag in her hand. The only other person I've ever seen that fast was Shego."

Kim grew her evil grin, "HEHE, speaking of Shego…."

* * *

When they made it upstairs, they were gossiping like they hadn't been apart 6 days let alone 6 months. Monique had left shortly after the Graduation party to get settled in at her college. Kim gave her a tour of the apartment. Monique was now suitably impressed.

Reaching the kitchen, Monique looked at the large red cylinder on the wall. She cocked her head to the side and looked at Kim. She pointed and said, "I'm not even gonna ask."

"Rrrrrr, I'm getting better. Ron's been teaching me."

"Guess we're gonna have to nickname that boy 'Superchef' then. Speaking of 'Blondie', where is he?"

"They're probably on the patio." Before they got outside, they ran into Ron who seemed to be so distracted he barely noticed Monique.

"KP, guess who called while you were gone."

"Who?"

"Go on, guess."

Kim deadpanned, "Drakken and Shego."

"No, but I do have some food for them. It was Felix! He got in last night and wants to come over. I told him to call as soon as he gets here and I'll let him in. He'll be here any minute." Ron was obviously pumped by the call from his best guy friend.

"You might have to have him park in the lot until the 'rents leave. Mon took the last spot in the garage."

"Oh! Hey Monique! No prob, KP." He bolted for the stairs reaching for his cell as he went. Kim smiled, looked at her BGF and counted backwards out loud.

"3, 2, 1."

"MONIQUE!"

"That's my guy!" Once the hugs where out of the way, Ron apologized, said he would be back once Felix arrived. He bounded out of the living room, down the stairs. Kim led the way to find everyone else outside. Kim introduced Monique to Sagara and the Chidori's

* * *

Felix rolled around the Galaxie admiring the mirror-like finish of the Wimbledon White paint. With an awed voice, he said, "Ron, ya gotta take me for a ride, man!"

Ron reached into his pocket, pulled out his keys and tossed them to his friend. With a completely innocent goofy grin he said, "Dude, you're my 'best bud'. You can drive."

Felix looked at the keys in his hands, then back up to Ron perplexed, who was smiling at him totally without malice, "Ron, I can't drive your car."

Ron was clueless, "Why not?"

The wheelchair bound young man was stunned to realize that Ron really had no idea what he was saying. Ron didn't see Felix Renton, paraplegic and student of advanced robotics at M.I.T. All Ron saw was his friend and gaming buddy. The blonde in front of him completely disregarded the wheelchair he was sitting in and accepted him as he was.

Felix had to take a breath to get his emotions under control. He tossed the keys back to Ron saying, "Ron, I really hope you never change. But you oughta drive. Ya think you can open the door so I can climb inside?"

Felix could practically see the gears turning in Ron's head and knew the instant the chair occurred to him. "Felix, I'm sorry, man!"

"Ron, don't worry about. That's one of the reasons you're my best friend. You don't care about it. Come on, let's get rolling."

Ron still felt bad about putting Felix on the spot like he did, so he quirked an eyebrow and asked, "You wanna just go for a spin or do ya want the 'E' ticket ride?

"What's the 'E ticket' ride?"

"Well we could just take a spin around town or I can show ya what Elma Lee can really do."

Felix, being like most young people with a 'Y' chromosome just put on a cheesy grin to match Ron's and said "What da you think?"

"Give me a minute." Ron turned and opened one of the lockers in front of the Galaxie's space and pulled out a set of straps. He opened the passenger door and hooked the straps to the roll bar and into buckles in the seat, changing the standard "3 point" seat belt into a "4 point" harness, then did the same to the drivers side. He tapped the button on his wrist Kimmunicator to call Wade. Receiving a response he said, "Wade ol' buddy, I need ya to do me a favor. I'm taking Felix for a ride up Ridgeline Road. Can ya give me overheads?"

"Sure thing, Ron. Just let me get a 'Slurpster' and some snacks and I'll be setup by the time you reach the base."

"Dude, you rock." He turned to Felix and tossed a thumb to the empty passenger seat, saying "In ya go."

Although you couldn't really tell by looking at him, Felix Renton was strong, very strong! Long used to having to move himself around using just his arms and torso, he had developed a significant amount of upper body strength. He hitched himself forward on his chair and grabbed the roof of the car and lifted himself like a gibbon into the passenger seat. He settled his legs in front of him and settled into the seat. He looked at the harness and Ron reached in and showed him how to hook the straps in place.

Ron walked back to the locker and pulled out a couple of open face helmets with built-in commo sets, then climbed in and passed the helmets to Felix saying, "Safety First." He fastened his own harness and started the Galaxie with a rumble. Pushing the button to open the overhead door, he pulled out of the garage into the lowering afternoon sky.

* * *

Back upstairs a feminine voice was heard to say, "He's what!"

"Ron said he's taking Felix for a run up Ridgeline. I gotta get into the lab to get him some overhead coverage." In one hand Wade had one of his huge 'Slurpster' cups and in the other was a mounded plate of 'Thanksgiving goodness'. Before he got a response from the bewildered redhead he headed to his sanctuary in the basement saying, "Come on! This oughta be good." He was followed by everybody left in the building.

When they reached the lab, Wade settled into his custom chair and fired up the system as everyone gathered around the bank of monitors lining the wall in front of the genius. First Wade accessed one of the orbiting satellites and focused on the area, then he activated a couple of his custom UAV drones and launched them from the GJ base, setting them on an intercept course and sent the feed to the monitors. At one end of the route was the closed Wannaweep, at the other was the Middleton Ski Lodge.

The State had built a much better all-weather road to the Lodge that approached from the South-West, relegating Ridgeline Road to the North-East to a secondary status. But Ridgeline was the main route up, around and down the other side of Mt. Middleton and the Continental Divide itself. During the winter, if the road was clear, there could be traffic up to the ski lodge and it was a given during in the spring and summer months for the hiking and camping offered by the wilderness area.

But in the fall it dropped off to the point that even the state police and Park Rangers didn't bother to patrol more then once or twice a day looking for stranded motorist's. And with the holiday that traffic almost ceased entirely.

Partly gravel, partly asphalt, Ridgeline was fourteen mile stretch of road that had nearly every type of turn imaginable. From one extreme of a series of chicanes that forced the driver to throw the car from side to side with sheer cliffs rising up on one side and plummeting to the canyon floor on the other to the other extreme of hairpin turns that were meant to be negotiated at a crawl.

Old growth and second generation forest lined the lower portion both ends of the road creating a dense screen that prevented a driver from seeing very far around any curves up to the tree-line around 8,000 feet. The road continued climbing up to a saddle pass above 10,000 feet before dropping off the other side of the ridge down to the Lodge on the South-Western slopes of the mountain. There were places where if you weren't careful, your car would become completely airborne. These were among the most dangerous spots because once the wheels left the road, inertia was the only guiding force left on the car.

The Team had an agreement with the Park Services that, as long as they didn't abuse it, they could use the road as a training area to improve their driving skills and they had all, minus Wade to his pique, driven the route under the tutelage of a couple of professional rally racers.

Sousuke had also insisted that they each take a series of courses for Security and Protective Detail drivers that emphasized **offensive** rather than defensive driving skills. Courses that taught them not only how to use a car to escape or relying on any built in systems to deal with an enemy, but how to use the vehicle itself as a weapon.

He used the satellite looking for the one thing no law abiding person, organization or warm-blooded animal tried to hide. Heat. Using the thermal imager, he scanned for man-made heat sources. The only man-made things he found was the outskirts of the city and the ski lodge itself. Even the abandoned Wannaweep only showed ambient temperatures. He spotted signs of animals, deer, coyotes, a few bears, 'Is that a cougar?', but nothing in the vicinity of the road.

In the Detroit Steel, the radio flipped open and Wade gave Ron the all clear. Ron approached the former Wannaweep, the nominal starting point, at close to 50 MPH, almost double the speed their former vice-principal Steve Barkin drove the bus transporting the cheer squad to a faked competition years before and came to a sliding stop.

Looking at the entrance, a shiver crawled down his spine. He might have beaten the place twice, three times if you counted his first disastrous visit during his eleventh summer, but Wannaweep would always be a place that gave him the willies.

Seeing his expression, Kim knew what was happening. She called over the commo link, "Ron?"

"It's no big, KP. Not gonna be here long anyway." He looked at his friend in the passenger seat. "You set there, Felix?"

Felix had gotten a bit nervous on the trip up here because he had never seen Ron drive like he had so far and it showed. "Uhhh…"

"Felix, I've driven a _scooter_ at better than 100 miles per hour. But you say the word and we'll turn around right now."

Felix looked at the changed young man beside him and saw the same goofy grin he had seen for years. There was a difference though. Under the goofyness was something else. Confidence.

He tightened his harness before he grabbed the helmet, he said, "Let's do this!" Lacing the helmet strap, he positioned the mic for the built in commo set

Ron put on his helmet, saying, "Alright! A couple things I'm gonna need your help with first." Ron asked Wade to load a set of pacenotes to the onboard system and Felix to read them to him as they went. All Felix had to do was read exactly what was on the screen.

Because of the route and the speed he was going to be moving, Ron was going to be forced to rely on the rest of his Teammates to warn him of changes in the road and dangers ahead. Wade to watch ahead for other cars, people and animals in the road and Felix to tell him what the road was going to be like.

Wade added with a smirk, "Remember Ron, the best time so far was Kaname in Eleanor at 12 minutes 40 seconds."

The only member of the Team that had a faster time than Kaname was Kim, but she had used the Sloth and had flown up and over. Kaname had ridden with everyone and knew that everything else being equal, cars, terrain and weather, Sousuke and Kim would be the leaders. She also knew there was little chance of Ron bettering her time. These thoughts weren't a slight against Ron's driving skills, instead it was a testament to Eleanor, Kim and Sousuke. Eleanor for how Sousuke had built her, Kim for her reflexes and instincts and Sousuke for his training and hard earned skills.

Ron settled himself deeper into his seat, pulling every bit of slack out of his harness and first cracked his knuckles then his neck. Once he was set, he looked back at the screen, "Wade?"

Over The Mountian  
By Ozzy Osborne  
_.com/watch?v=4PE7Y04JU6o_

**START**

"Three, two, one, GO!"

As soon as the word was given, Ron floored the Galaxie, sending twin rooster tails of gravel and dust into the air behind them, the rear end fishtailing side to side. The first part of the route was densely forested with fir and pine trees, dotted with patches of snow, making it hard to know what the road was like ahead of them. With the Sun below the shoulder of the mountain, the Eastern side of the mountain made for a dimly lit twilight forest requiring the use of the incredibly bright halogen high beam headlights.

_Over the mountains,  
__Take me across the sky.  
Something in my visions,  
__Something deep inside.  
_

Only Wade's set of pacenotes and Felix calling them out kept Ron on the road. Felix would call a direction and Ron would line up for it blindly, prepared to make only tiny corrections. Once again, Ron found himself in a situation were he had to implicitly trust his Teammate.

_Where did I wander,  
__Where'd you think I wandered to.  
I've seen life's magic,  
__Astral plane I travel through.  
_

Driving on the loose surfaced road required a different set of skills than driving on asphalt or concrete. The rear-wheel drive and loose surface created a massive under-steer situation. This forced Ron to try and enter the turns tight and then slide around the sharper turns, at times almost sideways.

_I heard them tell me that this land of dreams was now.  
I told them I had ridden shooting stars,  
And said I'd show them how.  
_

In the shallower curves, he hugged the outside of the curve and dipped to the inside at the apex exiting to the outside on the other side. The huge car built during the height of the Cold War drifted side to side as Ron, slinging the steering wheel first one way then the other, powered through a series of chicanes, gravel flying behind them. Only on the limited straights did the speed of the spinning rear wheels match the actual speed of the car.

_Over and over,  
__Always tried to get away.  
Living in a daydream,  
__Only place I had to stay.  
_

As they climbed higher the trees became shorter and forest thinned more and more, allowing longer sightlines. At one point, approaching a hairpin turn, Ron terrified everybody not on the Team, especially his buddy Felix. Like a rocket trying to change course, he threw the car into the turn so hard they were literally going backwards and sliding through the turn until he was lined up with the road on the other side.

_Fever of a breakout,  
__Burning in me miles wide.  
People around me,  
__Talking to the walls inside.  
_

On another, Felix had no clue how close things were, but the overhead drones caught the action. Ron's mother screamed and everyone else was horrified as Ron skidded through a curve, front wheels flickering left and right steering into the skid, at more then 60 MPH according to the indicators on the screen, the headlights not even pointed close to the direction of travel.

_I heard them tell me that this land of dreams was now  
I told them I had ridden shooting stars  
And said I'd show them how  
_

It wasn't the speed that frightened them. It wasn't even the fact the curve had no guardrail and a 100 foot drop off. It was the fact that his over rotating rear wheels were inches from the edge, throwing gravel over the side as he screamed through the curve.. They closed on the saddle pass that led to the other side of the ridgeline and down to the Lodge. A small rise at the top lofted the car into the air at better then 100 MPH. It flew a couple dozen feet and WHUMPED to the ground, gravel scattering as the suspension absorbed the impact without a bounce.

_Don't need no astrology,  
__It's inside of you and me.  
You don't need a ticket to fly with me,  
__I'm free. Yeah!_

When they reached the ridge they broke into the light of the Sun setting in the West, blinding them for a second before Ron reached up and flipped the visor down. Seconds later, Ron's face grimaced as he nearly stood on the brakes to scrub speed and enter another hairpin, the huge Brembo's slowing the car as the antilocks squalled. Using the same reverse-drift technique as before, he lined up on the last stretch of road that led to the Lodge. The road surface changed to asphalt and Ron really got on the pedal.

Kim looked at the time and asked, "Wade?"

Never taking his eyes off of the monitors, he guessed the question, shook his head and said, "He's not gonna make it. It's not his fault though, it's the car. Elma Lee isn't a WRC Rally car. She's neither designed or modified for this kind of work. The only reason Eleanor does as good as she does is all the technology build into her. Just traction control makes a huge difference. That's not counting the active suspension, manual transmission and the AI handling the suspension. But I gotta tell ya, he's doing better than I thought he would!"

One screen showed the occupants and speakers carried the sounds of the car engine rising and falling with the changing demands of the driver. Felix had the overhead handle with one hand and a grip on the center passenger seatbelt with the other, his face a mixture of terror, excitement and adrenaline fueled rush while he called out the directions. Ron's was nearly a stone mask, eyes darting to take in the route, looking for the best line to take in the curves, hands palming the steering wheel left and right. Some of the curves were clipped so close that dust rose where the inside tires dropped off the pavement for a second.

_Guitar Solo  
_

There was one point everyone really thought Ron was going to lose it when he came through a chicane a hair to fast. The rear end fishtailed and he wound up to far too the outside of the curve. He instantly let off the throttle, but just as he got control back, the left front wheel rolled up the berm on the side of the road forcing the car to nearly roll over.

_Over and under,  
__In between the ups and downs.  
Mind on a carpet,  
__Magic ride goes round and round.  
_

Most of the males sucked air and all of the women except Kim screamed and even she felt her heart rise into her throat as the left side of the car rose. On instinct, Ron turned to the right, into the roll and brought the car back onto four wheels. The asphalt surface made for tremendously better traction than the previous gravel road allowing Ron to make the most of the huge tires under the car.

_Over the mountain,  
__Kissing silver inlaid clouds.  
Watching my body,  
__Disappear into the crowds._

Slacking off of the more violent oversteer he had used on the looser gravel and allowing the car to track the chicanes, he still power over steered through the tighter curves, front wheels darting left and right in the arc to maintain controlled, if only barely, skids. As they skidded through a turns, smoke was pouring off of the over-rotating rear tires. Elma Lee would likely need a new set of rubber when they got back to the garage.

They dropped further down the other side of the mountain, passing the treeline again, reentering the same type of forest as the other side. The quartz halogen highbeams lighting the passing trees and scrub in a green tinted blur.

When the Galaxie entered the final mile and a half straightaway near the Lodge, Ron pushed the pedal to the floor and snapped on the supercharger, trying to pull every single horse from the 428 he could get. Smoke rolled off the rear wheels and their heads snapped to the headrests from the additional power.

A mile and a half later, roaring past the entrance, Ron killed the supercharger, stood on the brakes again and whipped the wheel around to face the car back the opposite way, coming to a screeching, squalling halt, hollering as he did. "Wade, Time?"

_Don't need no astrology,  
__It's inside of you and me.  
You don't need a ticket to fly with me,  
__I'm free. Yeah!_

"Not bad, not bad at all Ron. Time thirteen-oh-eight"

"Awww, man!"

All of the Team knew where this could go. Self-doubt and a pity fiesta on the part of the blonde. Before anyone else could say anything, Sousuke barked at the image on the screen, "Stoppable-san! Would you try and outrace a Hayabusa on your modified scooter?"

"No. Even with the rockets the 'busa would blow its wheels off."

"Then don't try and compare your time with Kaname's. Eleanor is a much more advanced machine. On an open road, you would have the advantage. You just maintained an average speed of….." He broke off trying to do the math in his head.

At the same time, Wade and Kaname interjected "Sixty four point two Miles per Hour." "About Sixty-four."

"Thank you. Nearly Sixty-five miles an hour over rough roads that would normally take three times as long. That is an impressive run considering the vehicle. Only our instructors from the WRC in official cars could have done better. An accurate test would have all of us using the same vehicle. Also while we have all had the same training, you lack the real world experience needed to improve. That will come with time and practice."

"I guess you're right. But, I still think I coulda done better."

"Load-sensei recorded your run. Later we can analyze the data to see where."

Ron put the Galaxie in gear, "Alright, we're on our way back. We're gonna take it a lot easier so we'll be there in bout an hour."

* * *

Back at the garage the monitors receiving the feed from fhe UAV's orbiting overhead showed the rear end of the white car drift to the side and a bit of smoke coming from the rear tires as Ron hammered the throttle heading back the way he had come. Everyone began to drift back upstairs to continue with the evenings activities. Everyone that is except for the mocha colored young woman who was looking at the screen showing the returning Galaxie in shock.

Kim noticed her friends blank look and said, "Monique?"

Monique glanced at Kim and returned to the monitors, "Kim, who the hell was driving that car?"

Kim was confused, "Uhh, it was Ron."

"No it wasn't! Other than Felix, there wasn't any screaming! Even when he nearly rolled it, he didn't utter a peep! Both your mom and his screamed when it happened. I screamed and I wasn't even in the car! Now who was driving?"

"Remember what I said about things changing? Well, Ron's been one of those things."

"Kim, for as long as I've known him, Ron's almost been afraid of his own shadow sometimes! I was scared for him just watching."

"There's been a lot going on you haven't heard about, Mon. Part of it I think Ron's been growing up. And as much it tears me up to say it, but a lot of it's been because of Sagara."

"Why him?"

Kim settled into one of the chairs, "Because he was willing to do something I couldn't. He wouldn't take any excuses from any of us. He was willing to just about torture us to get his point across. If Ron goofed on a mission, I'd just blow it off saying 'Head in the game, Ron.'" Kim sounded smarmy for the last. "But Sagara would look and figure out what was wrong and explain it to him."

Kim pointed to Wade's sleeping area. "For Wade, after he moved here, Sagara drug him into the Dojo and started tossing him around and teaching him about firearms. And today was the first time in months Wade hasn't been wearing his body armor and his Glock. And that's only because he went to his 'rents today. "

At the words 'Body armor and Glock', Monique's eyebrows went up and her jaw dropped. Kim saw the look and chuckled. "I guess we've just gotten used to it. Sagara was assigned as Wade's body guard…"

Monique interrupted with, "Bodyguard?"

"Don't ask! But because of what he learned from his last assignment, he decided to quote," she lowered her voice to a gruff tone, "'Make the protectee an integral part of his own defenses.' unquote. GJ even gave Wade a badge and made him a reserve agent. The kid arrested 24 of Gemini's agents by himself after they tried to get in here, kidnap him and break through into the GJ tube in the foyer there." She pointed to the tube way entrance. Kim shuddered and chuckled again, "It wasn't pretty."

"And what about you? What's he taught you?"

Kim pondered for a second, "I'm still working on that. But a part of it is that no matter how much it galls me, I can't win a hundred percent of the time."

She stood saying to her friend, "Come on, you're gonna wanna be here later."

"What for?"

Wearing an evil grin, Kim answered, "I have a surprise cooked up for my Dad. And I wanna make sure _evvvvvreeybody _is here to see it!"

* * *

However, much to Kim's chagrin, when her and Monique finished climbing back up to the party she found the Stoppables were in the process of leaving.

Barbara explained "We have to get Hana home before she gets cranky. It's way past her nap time and Gene has to get ready for another speaking engagement tomorrow."

"It's no big. I was just hoping you could stay a bit longer. We were gonna have Sagara play later while the rest of us did Karaoke. Excuse me. I have to powder my nose." Kim hid it well, but most could tell something had her tweaked about the information. 'Grrrrr, I never thought I would understand Drakken. My revenge is denied me! Rrrrr! It's all right. Christmas! Christmas is coming! And then Daddy, I'll get you back for those 'Bubble Butt' videos.'

* * *

Omake Time

The Beast just wouldn't die! They had been lucky so far in being able to drive IT into an abandoned lot after IT had crashed through the side of the garage.

Ron was putting the training Fukushima had given him to good effect by keeping the Hell Beast at bay, preventing it's escape. He would leap in and slash a few times with the Lotus Blade in the form of a Naginata, then, when the Beast turned to attack him, jump out of range.

When Ron cleared the line of fire, either Sagara, Kaname or Wade would open up. Kaname was placing aimed three-round-bursts from her M4 in likely looking vulnerable areas. Wade was darting around, hammering away, emptying full magazines from his FN2000 into the Beast. Sagara was alternately calling over his headset for both Close Air Support with Rockeye's and Napalm and clergy to perform an exorcism.

At the same time he was watching for openings to fire his MK32 Multi-shot Grenade Launcher loaded with either High-Explosive or Incendiary rounds. Whenever one presented itself, he would fire at the Beast. The problem was that IT seemed immune to the damage from the HE rounds. The Incendiary rounds on the other hand would get the Beast's undivided attention. He never thought he would wish for one of those WWII terror weapons, but what he really needed was a flame-thrower. IT seemed to truly fear fire. Hopefully when Al arrived they could turn the tide against the Beast.

Wade, running out of ammunition for the machine-gun, drew his trusty Glock 29 10mm and another full mag. Wade waited until Ron was between him and IT, hollering at his Teammate, "RON SLEDGEHAMMER!" and charged the blonde.

Ron paused in his assault shifting the Lotus Blade into a Bo, holding it aimed at Wade, end close to the ground. Wade stepped onto the Bo and Ron heaved him into the air, launching the younger teen in an arc thirty feet above the Battlefield.

"AAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" Wade screamed a battle-cry as he descended, unleashing 10 millimeter rounds at point blank range into where he hoped the head of Hell Beast was. He had nearly emptied the weapon before landing on the Beast, he was firing so quickly. When the slide locked back, he thumbed the magazine release by reflex, slammed the ready mag in place and hit the slide release and reloaded the weapon, resuming fire. The action had taken barely a second.

Halfway through the second clip, the Beast had gotten tired of the pain of point-blank 10mm fire and tried to swat the annoyance on its back. Wade dove to the side, hitting the ground in a roll and darted away to take a position near Kaname, with the Beast trying to follow him. Just as Wade landed there was a deep boom driving IT back, away from the boy.

Even Shunya and Ayame had been enlisted for this emergency. Sagara had the older man grab one of the .50 caliber sniper rifles and go to the roof of the garage and fire at the Beast whenever he had an opening. Ayame was below the parapet frantically trying to reload the 10 round magazine her father had just ejected with the 5.5 inch long by .8 inch wide ammunition.

The Beast recoiled from the large anti-installation and material round, bellowing its' fury, trying to find a way to escape it's tormenters.

And where was Kim while all this was happening? Well, she was squatting against a wall in the kitchen, arms wrapped around her knees, slightly rocking and muttering, "It was supposed to be Chicken Cacciatore!"

* * *

AN: The .50 caliber Browning Machine Gun round is HUGE for a man portable weapon. Think not? Consider this. Neither the 5.56x45mm NATO round for the M16/M4 series nor the 7.62x39mm Soviet round for the AK47 series weapons are as long as a Dollar bill is wide. But the .50 BMG is LONGER than a Dollar bill!


	41. The Honor of an Amerikaner

AN:

A short time after my last post, my brand new laptop was caught in the local flooding. Sigh! I finally got another, but after losing every bit of research, saved data, story ideas and plot lines, I nearly gave it up. Then, after many years, I watched "The Last Days of Patton" again, and the Muse hit me like a sledge hammer. Here is the result.

With a LOT of sounding board work from Sentinel and pre-reading/Beta from CajunBear, I present you with

**Chapter 41 The Honor of an Amerikaner**

**November 26, 2007  
Vienna  
Döblinger Friedhof Cemetery  
Skorzeny family plot**

The headstone read

**Otto Skorzeny  
12 June 1908 – 5 July 1975**

**Obersturmbannführer (Lieutenant Colonel)**

**Iron Cross(First and Second Classes)  
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross  
Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross**

Before it was a short man, wearing a heavy winter greatcoat and jackboots. He just looked at the headstone for a while, then began to speak.

"Dis is a poor resting place for you, Otto, my old friend. I just vanted to let you know that ve are nearly ready to begin again. Soon, the Forth Reich vill start to rise and return Germany to its rightful place. Zhere are a few details I have to attend too before hand, but zhe orders have already been given."

"Vish me luck, Otto. Luck like you always seemed to have. The luck you needed to escape for Darmstat in 48, right out from under zhe noses of zhe Allies. Hehe. Und zhen to be photographed drinking coffee at a café on the Champs Elysées in Paris. Even that svinehunt, Patton said you had more ballz then just about anyone he knew. He hated your guts, but he respected you."

"Like you, I vill have to use trickery und misdirection at zhe beginning. Hehe, you know Otto, in December of 44, zhe vay you had entire divisions tied down, und Eisenhower himself locked away by his own zecurity forcez, vith just you und two dozen ozher men, it vas magnificent. I vill need that same audacity."

"I face some of the same problems ve faced in zhe 40's. Ve discovered a mole of zhat damn Spaniard in zhe ranks a few days ago. Damn all spies anyvay! I know you vere considered one yourself, but ve know zhe difference, don't ve. You vere '_Strumtruppen_' und zhe best ve had. Only 'Operation Long Jump' failed under your command, und zat vas not your fault. It vas that idioten von Ortel's. Ve both told zhe moron to stay sober."

Sigh, "But zat is in zhe past."

"I promise you zhis, Otto. Dat vonce I have the capital returned to Berlin vhere it belongs, I vill have your resting place moved to one more fitting of a _Reich's Volkshero. _I give you my vord._"_

**December 21-22, 1944  
Belgium  
East of Bastogne  
Enroute from Arnhem to General George Patton's Command HQ **

The young messenger rode his Harley-Davidson WLA through the falling snow. The German forces had driven him further and further from his preplanned route and it was only the speed and power of the 45 CID engine that allowed him to avoid capture several times.

It was both hunger and darkness that forced him to stop in a large sinkhole that hid him from both the road to one side and the rail line on the other. After hiding the bike, he dug a shallow trench and built a well sheltered fire. Then he melted enough snow to refill his canteens and had enough left over to turn the dehydrated beef and vegetables into a palatable soup to warm him up before he turned in for the night.

Just before dark, he built up the fire to the point that it filled the trench. He wasn't too worried about anyone smelling the smoke, with the air interdiction of petrol fuel, many of Germany's rail engines had to resort to wood to continue operating. Once the wood had burned down to red glowing coals, he covered the trench with the dirt he dug out to make it in the first place.

He pulled his Thompson sub-machine gun from the scabbard in front of the handle bars and a ground cover, poncho and wool blanket from the ammo cans mounted beside the front tire on the bike. The ammo cans were a trick he learned from the Americans to keep things dry in almost any conditions.

He'd learned a lot from those strange people from the Western side of the Atlantic.

He placed the ground sheet on top of the recovered trench and lay down pulling the wool blanket over himself, the poncho covering the blanket to keep the snow off. With the Thompson in his hands and settled in for a few hours sleep. He wanted to be back on the road well before dawn.

Along about midnight, he was awakened by the sound of a train on the track 100 meters away. The problem was the train was stopping. Quickly, yet silently, he rolled out of his blankets and started rolling everything and repacking it on the bike.

He couldn't leave, yet. The sound of the Harley V-twin was distinctive compared to the BMW Boxer engine motorcycles ridden by most _Wehrmacht_ messengers. Once the gear was stowed, he switched the Thompson's smaller box magazine out for a larger drum and waited silently. Voices from the train told him that they were concerned about damage to the tracks from Allied air attacks.

Many trains had taken to operating at night to avoid strafing attacks by American Mustang fighters and Thunderbolt fighter-bombers. He was thankful for the smell of wood smoke from the train's boiler. That meant the faint smell of smoke from his fire would go unnoticed.

Then he heard a worrisome commotion. German Soldiers hollering orders to 'halt', some gunfire from the Mausers they carried, crashing though the brush in several directions, including towards him. Still he remembered his father's teaching about the hunt. "The game that panics and bolts it often the game in the pot." He froze. Surprisingly hard to do on a night with sub-freezing temperatures. Breathing through his slightly open mouth prevented the slight whistle common when breathing through the nose and kept his teeth from chattering, too.

The full moon gave a haunting feel to the night. He both blessed and cursed the weathers clearing yesterday. Sliding down the side of the depression, through the brush came what was obviously not _Wehrmacht _Soldiers. It was a pair of children being hustled along by a woman that appeared to be in her early twenties. They looked ghastly. Gaunt, underfed and on the edge of starvation. For an instant, he nearly shot them as they passed by, thinking they were the ghouls of one of his mothers tales. It was only the large yellow star on the rags they were wearing that stayed his hand.

Just before they passed him by, he grabbed the woman and one of the children covering their mouths, hissing '_Ich bin Amerikaner' _at them. He really wasn't an American, but figured they would understand that better then trying to explain he was Spanish. Besides, to his shame, there were Spaniards serving in more than one _Waffen-SS _unit. In German, he told them the only way to survive the next few minutes was to freeze, and if they didn't, he would kill them himself. The emaciated figures froze.

From the direction of the train came the sound of more people, Soldiers this time. He crept to the ridge of the depression. Careful not to look directly at the lights the Soldiers were using, he preserved his night-vision. He saw two men in the greatcoats and the distinctive coal-scuttle helmets of the _Wehrmacht. _But these weren't _Wehrmacht _troops. In the bright moonlight, he could just make out the distinctive double lighting bolt on their collars. These were SS Troops, and not _Waffen-SS_ either. This was bad. If captured, he would face torture and a summary execution. That didn't even count losing the communiqués he was carrying falling into the hands of the Enemy. He simply waited and watched.

The men somehow missed the sinkhole he and the escapees behind him were hiding in. The Soldiers were griping about the numbers not matching at _Buchenwald_ if they didn't recapture these prisoners. After a few minutes of cursory searching, one of the men mentioned about how "It is no loss. The cold will kill 'the Judean' as fast as _Buchenwald._ As cold as it is, there's no way they can survive tonight. We can tell them we shot them on the way."

They walked back to the train and the messenger melted back into the hole. Reaching the bike, he found the trio still there, shivering through the rags they were wearing. He felt the trench he slept over and felt the residual warmth of the coals still burning slowly under the top layer. He made them sit on the warmer spot and took his blanket, poncho and ground sheet and covered them as best he could.

For over an hour, they wait until they heard the train pull away. The densely forested Ardennes provided more than enough dead-fall wood to rebuild the fire, this one tiny to avoid the light reflecting and drawing the German Army down on them.

The messenger questioned them closely, who they were, why they were on the train, where they had been bound. As the woman spoke, the young man became more and more horrified.

Never in his life would he have believed that anyone could do what this skeleton of a woman was saying had been done to her and her family. The children weren't even hers. Her children were dead, as were the parents of the two, what he now knew to be, girls. They were so gaunt and lifeless there was now way of telling.

He gave them every scrap of food he carried, his blanket, poncho, the ground sheet, extra clothes, all the money (American, British, French and German Reich marks) he carried.

Leaving them with enough wood to last several days with careful use, two hours before dawn, he remounted his motorcycle and roared out of the depression, making as much noise as he could, hoping to draw anyone after him and away from the abused, terrorized, terrified trio hiding behind him.

He rode as fast as he could. The General had to know about this. The General would know what to do.

In later years, he often wondered what happened to the woman and those two poor tow-headed little girls, because he never saw or heard from them again.

The young woman and two little girls would survive, huddled in the sinkhole, for days. After what they had been through, the little food the _Amerikaner _had left behind would be enough, eked out with some roots and nuts, to stave off the crushing hunger for a while. The blanket and clothes were better than anything the woman had had in years and the best the children had ever seen. They sheltered there, warmed by the tiny fire and the blanket until, like another miracle, the battle lines shifted and they were found.

Found by more of those godlike _Amerikaner's. _The grim-faced, yet surprisingly gentle _Soldaten_ who carried guns like the dreaded _Schutzstaffel_ and had more food in their pockets then the girls had eaten in days and thought nothing of handing it to them. Those _Soldaten_ cared for them, kept them warm, gave them more warm clothes and Thank YHVH fed them, more food then any of them had seen in years.

In the years to follow, the young woman would adopt the two little girls, move to the country of that young man that saved their lives, never knowing about his lie. The lie of being an _Amerikaner _instead of his native _Spanisch._

With the two little girls in tow, she settled in the town of Middleton, Colorado, married and lived out the rest of her life in peace. And close to the end of her life she fondly listened to her youngest tow-headed great-grandson as he jabbered about the little red-headed girl who was the 'Bestest Friend in the World'.

**December 22, 1944  
Belgium  
South West of Bastogne**

Standing watching as Troops hurried past was a tall, spare man with his hands folded behind him. He had just dismissed his Aide-de-camp and continued to watch _his _men pass by. _His _Troops! The Third Army. The Troops he had drilled and trained mercilessly until they were almost living extensions of his will. He beamed at the men marching along a cold, soggy, muddy road. They were filthy, muddy, cold, wet, tired and hungry. But their discipline, courage and determination showed even in their slipping, sometimes faltering steps. The General's _Pride_ in these men swelled within his breast and almost misted his eyes.

There was no doubt in his mind that there was no other Army in the world that could have done what _his _men were accomplishing: While fully engaged with the enemy, they pulled out of a winter battle, passed it over to other units before they marched 150 miles in three days with no hot food, little rest and less sleep, to where they were preparing to drive into the southern flank of one the toughest armies in history.

Despite what those media idiots spouted back home, there was no denying the courage, determination and unit level leadership of the _Reich's_ _Heer, _the German Army. The _Wehrmacht_ was beaten and they knew it. But that didn't mean they were going to quit. They were going to make him fight for every inch of ground. Every tree, every hillock, every valley, every town and village; he was going to have to take them by force of arms.

The entire world was at war. It was a test of arms that he had prepared for all of this life and all the others he had lived, even if he couldn't remember them clearly. Flashes and glimpses, that was all. But it was enough.

His enemy was an honorable one, the _Heer, the Luftwaffe_ and even the_ Waffen-SS_. He had not had to personally face the _Kreigsmarine,_ but even there he had heard of how the vast majority of them had acted with Honor.

Their political leadership were vermin that needed to be exterminated, but the Unit leaders from the Division level on down to the rank and file for the most part refused to take part in atrocities against unarmed Soldiers, wounded, POW's and civilians.

He knew, as surely as the Sun rose in the East that after the war, Germans were going to be a reviled nationality for generations to come. But the men he faced, his _Enemy, _these men, they were _Soldiers_. And he held their courage and skill in Honor and Esteem that was surpassed only by the _Pride_ he had for _his_ men. The Soldiers of the United States Third Army who were about to slam into the flank of the German besiegers of Bastogne, relieving some of the toughest Light Infantry in the world, the 101st Airborne Division.

He noticed the young courier of Monty's approaching and grinned. Now there was a brave young man. He was barely out of his teens and he had demonstrated his courage and ingenuity to the point that he was trusted by both Monty and himself to deliver messages, by hand, unescorted, across open battlefields. How the young _Leftenant _was able to maneuver his motorcycle to avoid both the _Heer_ and _Waffen-SS_ patrols as well as _Luftwaffe_ aircraft was something the Three Star General didn't know.

The _Leftenant _dropped the kickstand, dismounted his motorcycle and pulled a Thompson sub-machine gun the scabbard on the bike. The General approved of the _Leftenants' _actions with the weapon. You never knew where the enemy might appear. And the same _Leftenant,_ using that very same Thompson won more than one bet empting a drum into a man-sized target at 25 yard. No mean feat with a weapon known for walking off target on full auto.

Slinging the weapon, he marched toward the general. He finished his approach, snapped to attention and smartly saluted, using British English with a slight Spanish accent, "Sair, I have a communiqué for the General from Field Marshal Montgomery, Sair."

The General returned the salute with a smirk, and asking in an slightly high pitched aristocratic, Virginia twang , "So what's ole Monty want this time, Lieutenant?"

With a completely blank face, the _Leftenant_ flipped the package with a flourish, presenting it to the General. "I'm sure I wouldn't know, Sair."

"Right, like Hell you don't. You probably knew what's in here before Monty dictated it to his aide."

"Respectfully Sair, it isn't the _Leftenant's _place to comment on the contents of the Field Marshal's communications."

"Hahahaha, well put, Lieutenant." The General paused, looking out over the passing Troops and then looked back at the _Leftenant. _The General was a very obsoverant man and noticed the grim expression. "Lieutenant, are you alright?"

The young Lieutenant's Mediterranean features went instantly pasty and the General could tell the young man was barely holding his composure as his eyes misted. "Sair, the _Heer_ and _Waffen-SS_ patrols had forced me off of the planned route and made it necessary to attempt to go around to the East of Bastogne to complete my mission."

"You've been behind their lines? Lieutenant, you get with the S-2, tell them everything, that clear?"

"Sair, there's something you should know." The messenger told the General about his encounter.

"God damn it. Lieutenant, I could really hate you right now. That's because you're not the first to give us information like this. Before you it was mostly rumors and hearsay. But you're one of the first of people that I personally trust to know the difference. Are you fucking sure about this?"

The voice of the young _Leftenant _was breaking. "You didn't see them, Sair. You have no idea."

The General rubbed his freshly shaven chin, "_Buchenwald _you say, that's way over near _Weimar._ That's over a hundred and fifty fucking miles on the German side of the lines."

"Lieutenant, I'm sorry, but there's not a God damned thing any of us can do about it right now. The fastest way, only way to help them is beat the shit out of these Kruat bastards as fast as we can."

"Right now, to the north of us, brave men are fighting and dying. And you save their lives by me, the Bastard, snatching my men up by the balls and driving them down the road, then kicking them in the ass whenever they start whining about how hard a mission is."

The General looked back at his cold, muddy, exhausted men and pride swelled in his chest again, "In a short while my men will once again enter into battle. And contrary to _their_ 'reputation' the majority, the vast majority of our Enemy will be honorable men, who will face us with courage, honor, determination and skill in the only real test of adversaries there is. Force of Arms."

"He was not my friend, but Erwin Rommel was my honorable foe. And it pains me that he is no longer here to face me battle. He was an Enemy that I could trust. More so than some of my allies. Every God-dammed time I turn around I get cut off at the knees by those same '_Allies_'. No supplies, no fuel, orders to stand and hold."

The General continued, growling, "And if he wasn't to fall in battle, I only wish he could have taken that Austrian, house-painting, paperhanging son-of-a-bitch with him." The General snapped his hawk- faced visage to the young man, "Heart attack my ass. I don't give a flying fuck about what the Nazi propaganda machine might say. I know it in my gut. Somehow Rommel got linked to that bombing back in July."

"Then those Nazi bastards gave him a choice. 'We'll execute you and your whole family or you can take the 'Honorable Choice' and commit suicide by poison and we'll turn it into a propaganda coup.' If they'd have had any Honor, they would have let him face me in battle and die as a Soldier."

**Buchenwald  
Weimar  
Germany**

**April 15, 1945**

The General was watching as his Battle hardened men herded German citizens into the gates of the camp. After seeing what was contained inside the formerly electrified fence, he had been so disgusted, he had ordered all the German citizens to tour the camp.

From out of the camp, in front of the General came the messenger, he announced his presence. "Sair." He was pasty-faced and clench-jawed.

Still watching the procession, the General responded, "I'm going to tell you something, Lieutenant, then I'm going to ask you a couple of questions, then I want you to make an observation. You don't have to tell me your conclusions, matter-of-fact, it's probably best if you never tell anyone your conclusions. But I want you to use your brain and think. The most important thing someone in Command of Soldiers can do is learn how to think. Understood?"

"Sair, yes Sair.

"I have been called 'a hot tempered, impetuous asshole', a 'hard-charging, hard-driving son-of-a-bitch' who can be fickle at the drop of a hat. My immediate superior is my _very good friend_, General Omar Bradley. One of the most even tempered men I've known, in this or any other life time. Now since the beginning of this war, do you know how many commanders I've relieved?

"No Sair."

"I've only had one commander I've had to relieve for cause. Just one. Do you have any idea how many Brad's relieved?

The Lieutenant considered, "One, Sair?"

"A couple of dozen actually." The Lieutenant knowing General Bradley's reputation was surprised and it showed. The General grinned, "Yep, the shit-head who slapped a couple of…" here the General snarled, "yellow-bellied cowardly sons-a-bitches… has only relieved a single Commander for incompetence, and my _friend_ Brad, the 'G.I. General' won't hesitate to sack someone for a perceived failure."

"I'll tell you something else too. If you take a look at the statistics, you'll find that I've had fewer causalities percentage wise, as well. Me, the Bastard who won't take shit from nobody and runs his men ragged trying to accomplish the impossible simply for Glory, has lost fewer men to Combat then the General that cares about the men under his command."

"The point here is two things. First, never accept someone's reputation at face value, until you or someone you implicitly trust can verify it, and more broadly, never paint a group of people with the same brush, ever. Because the larger the group the lesser the chance of the 'reputation' being true."

"And the second thing is, just because I am an asshole doesn't mean I don't care about my men. But molly-coddling them isn't the way to save lives. You save their lives by **being** an asshole. By being the son-of-a-bitch that forces them to wear their fucking helmets anytime their near a Combat zone. By being the cocksucker that instills in them the discipline to wear their uniforms properly, follow the rule of law, the laws of War and of Honor."

"And what's happened here, violates them all."

The General looked the boy the young man had suddenly became with compassion, "You don't know, I can see it on your face, son. Do you know _why_ I ordered you into that camp?"

"Sisi…Sair, no Sair."

"Twenty, thirty, maybe even fifty years from now, there will be people who are going to try to deny that it happened. Deny that those camps existed, that the Nazi's were trying to exterminate entire races. You're young enough that in twenty, thirty or fifty years, there's a good chance that you'll still be alive. And you can look those naysayer's in the face and say 'BULLSHIT, I seen it with my own eyes!' And no propaganda, no revisionist histories, no doctored evidence will ever erase those memories."

The General's furious eyes returned to the Soldiers passing by, driving German civilians into the gates on that cold, muddy, slippery road. "But one thing I want you to always remember Senior, is that it was this 'hot tempered, impetuous asshole', this 'hard-charging, hard-driving son-of-a-bitch' that made sure you knew the God dammed _truth_! And to never, ever forget what Honor means!

"No Sair!"


	42. Mony Mony

OMG, it's not six months between updates. This one has been in the works for a while, since just after Christmas. I had to rewrite it from scratch and in the last couple of weeks, I've been bouncing IM's between Sentinel and CajunBear for this one. Sentinel as a sounding board and CajunBear for proofing. Thanks Dudes.

As usual ya can find the song on the Tube **/watch?v=sYYAv-QW38Q**

Chapter 42 Mony Mony

When Ron and Felix made it back to the apartment, they rejoined the party in progress to find that Ron's parents had already left. It was a strange mixture of mostly American traditions (Thanksgiving Dinner and Fellowship) with some Japanese influences thrown into the mix (Karaoke).

Kaname and Ayame were singing along with a popular J-pop song being blasted out by Frankenstein. Wade was continually surprised at how well the conglomerated mishmash of unrelated parts of computer hardware, amplifiers, tuners, equalizers and soundboard seemed to work as well as it did.

The young genius had offered Sagara to work out a better machine for him, but the Soldier declined saying, "If it isn't broke, don't fix it.". Ron had explained it to the teen by saying, "Dude, it's like he's Han Solo and that's his Millennium Falcon. Leave it alone."

The night progressed several different, yet interacting scenes were being played out. The Tweebs were sulking after the arrival of Wade and the subsequent attention of Ayame focusing on the genius (grrr). There was the amusement of Kim and Monique (and at infrequent times Kaname) with their sulking (snicker hehe). Shunya, James and Anne were, chatting watching the events playing out around them ('it's like dinner theater!' was James' remark).

Over against the wall, near the guitar stand, Kaname and Sousuke just sat, watching each other. It altered a bit as different people would either ask for a change in music or try to get Sousuke to accompany them with the Fender.

At times Ron felt the hair on the back of his neck standing up, like someone watching him, but he couldn't see anything wrong. The closest he came to figuring it out was when he spotted Monique staring at him once.

Shrugging it off, Ron fixed himself a sandwich from the leftovers and settled in a chair near the one of the monitors for Frankenstein and was paging through the lists of songs available. He had just taken a bite of his sandwich when a song jumped out at him. He gulped the mouthful, cocked his head to the side a bit and narrowed his eyes.

He knew the artist and the song pretty well. It was one of the many songs from the 70s, 80s and 90s he had inherited from Roger. The man had had no shame in the garage with a wrench in his hand. He had kept an ancient Pentium II tower with Windows 2000 hooked into an amplifier for running his MP3 collection while he worked. The man couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, but he was enthusiastic, bobbing his head and bouncing his hips and warbling out the lyrics as he worked. And the song that jumped out at Ron was one of the many he had really gotten into the refrain of. As Ron looked at the screen, a grin started to grow. It grew and it grew.

Kim was talking with Monique when a cold chill ran down her spine, snapping her into mission mode. Something was wrong. She looked around and saw Ron wearing a grin she had hoped to never see again. The only reason she didn't immediately jump into full 'Mission Mode' was he hadn't turned blue and he wasn't madly cackling 'Aboooyaaaahahahahah'.

She watched as he grabbed Sousuke by the arm and quietly asked him questions. She only caught a piece of Ron's side of the conversation. "… live version, Dude. Not the studio one."

"Yes, I do. Steve Stevenson is an excellent musician. I've also studied the other guitarists that Mr. Broad has played with."

The grin was still present, "Outstanding! Set it up for me would ya. I'll be back in a minute." He snatched one of the cordless microphones and headed to the back of the apartment.

As Ron passed her heading for the bedrooms, Kim tried to get his attention. "Ron?"

"Got something I gotta take care of, KP! I'll be right back." The Grin grew as he left, passing by her BGF, he looked at her and said, "_Monique!_". Ron ducked into his room, shutting to door behind him. The look on his face rattled the other girl. A moment later, he came back out shirtless, entered Kim's room.

Monique stared down the hall, "Kim, what's that boy up too?"

Kim was looking in the same direction, "I…I…Moni, haven't got a clue."

Ron exited his girlfriend's room a few seconds later carrying a can or a bottle of some sort, back into his room. A second later came the sound of ripping cloth. Ron's dash across the hall wasn't too surprising. For Monique the surprising part was Ron was sans shirt.

He wasn't big like the weightlifters or football players. But it was a huge difference from the last time she had seen him bare-chested at the beach party last summer. His pecs and arms were ripped, with cords of muscle showing clearly, flexing with every move. He was still narrow in the shoulders, but his waist had trimmed down a lot, letting the muscles of his stomach and lower back show they had just as much definition as his chest.

Meanwhile Sousuke had been fiddling with Frankenstein, adjusting some of the volume and sound controls. He picked up the Fender and adjusted the tune a bit, strumming a few chords.

**Mony Mony: originally by Tommy James and the Shondells**

**Sung by Billy Idol**

**Start /watch?v=sYYAv-QW38Q**

A few minutes later everyone heard a low squeal as Ron turned on the switch to the microphone. Sousuke took that as his cue to start playing a rhythmic chord. The sound of a bass guitar and drums started pounding through the living room.

_Alright_

Ron jumped into the hallway straddle-legged as he sang into the mic. His appearance stunned everyone in the room, except for Sousuke. He just took it as another one of the strange things Ron was prone too.

_Here she comes now singing Mony Mony  
Shoot 'em up come on Mony Mony  
Hey she look good and I feel all right now  
I said 'Don't stop now come on Mony  
Come on, Yeah  
I said yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah  
_

From somewhere Ron had dug out the pleather pants from when he had the haircut by François. He was wearing his mission boots with the laces removed and his T-shirt had the sleeves and half the chest missing, ripped to his sternum. He was wearing an old leather jacket of Roger's with the sleeves pushed up to his biceps and a pair of mission gloves he had cut the fingers off of. Probably the most shocking part was his hair. It was spiked straight up, his blonde locks practically glowing.

_Cause you make me feel (Mony Mony)  
So good,(Mony Mony)  
so good, (Mony Mony)  
Oooo, I feel all right (Mony Mony)  
It's so fine,(Mony Mony)  
so fine (Mony Mony)  
It's so fine, (Mony Mony)  
Yes, I feel all right (Mony Mony)  
I said yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah  
_

Anne, being quicker on the uptake then nearly everyone else, much to the embarrassment of Kim and Monique, and with a grin to rival Ron's, grabbed two of the spare microphones, tossed one to Kaname and started singing along with the refrain of 'Mony Mony'. Kaname hurried to the side of the older woman and, using all of her years of karaoke experience from back in Japan, followed along until she had the same rhythm. The computer automatically recognized additional singers and deleted the backup vocals.

_Wake it, shake it Mony Mony  
I said a shot gun dead and I'll come on Mony  
Ooooo, Don't stop cookin' 'cause I feel too good, yeah.  
Well don't stop now well come on Mony  
Come on yeah, I said yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah_

James just looked on at their performance, shaking his head with a smile, remembering back twenty years ago to having cable TV for the first time and watching a blonde dynamo hammering out an updated version of the old Tommy James and the Shondell's hit. He had to admit Ron had the signature lip curls of William Broad, better known as Billy Idol, nailed. As he screamed out '_Come on, Yeah_', Ron had his head thrown back, the tendons in his neck standing out from the energy he was pouring to the song.

_Cause you make me feel (Mony Mony)  
So fine, (Mony Mony)  
so fine, (Mony Mony)  
It's so fine. (Mony Mony)  
Make me feel alright (Mony Mony)  
Alright (Mony Mony)  
Alright (Mony Mony)  
Do ya feel alright (Mony Mony)  
I said yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah  
_

Shunya Chidori had his head drawn back and a raised eyebrow trying to figure out what was going on. Ayame was smiling from ear to ear as she bounced along to the beat coming from the speakers set around the room. While Sousuke had the Fender screaming, Kaname had slid to the right of her fiancé and thrown an arm over his shoulder, still playing the part of background singer with Anne.

_Guitar Bridge _

Sousuke didn't bounce or strut. He simply played it straight as he went into the bridge, running the pick first up, then down the neck of the Fender. Ron, however, wasn't playing _anything_ straight though. When the bridge started he was thrusting and grinding his hips in a set of moves that had every female in the room blushing, thinking "Whoa!" Midway through the bridge, as Sagara kept playing, Ron and Anne drifted together and stood dancing back to back. She was doing the background part of the song while Ron carried the main vocals.

_(I love you mony mo-mo-mony) Said I doooo!  
(I love you mony mo-mo-mony) Yes I doooo!  
(I love you mony mo-mo-mony) Said I doooo!  
(I love you mony mo-mo-mony)  
_

They were shuffling up and down and grinding back-to-back in a way that had more than one person thinking "WHAT! Anne actually had a slight blush and a huge smile on her face, James' thought processes froze at the sight of his wife dancing like that with a man literally young enough to be her son, and Kim couldn't figure out whether or not to be jealous of her own mother.

_I said Mony (Yeah)  
Mony (Yeah)  
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,_

_WOOOOOOOWWWW  
(Mony Mony)  
(Mony Mony)  
(Mony Mony)_

Monique and Kim just stared in jaw-dropped amazement as Ron ground and strutted around the room. Kim was able to gain enough motor control to look to the side of her and see her BGF blushing darker than she thought the mocha skinned girl could get when he screamed into the mic. She seemed to be in a total state of shock as Ron bounced and hopped around the room.

_I said come on, come on, come on  
Mony Mony (Mony Mony)  
Mony Mony (Mony Mony)  
Feel all right, I said yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah_

Ron slid between the two girls still wailing into his mic, in a wide legged stance. The fact the pleather pants didn't split surprised both girls. Monique tried to drift away from the obviously insane Ron Stoppable, but he had hooked her arm in a vise like grip, all the while chanting 'Mony Mony', sweat starting to form on his face and chest.

_Ride your pony, (Mony Mony)  
Mony Mony (Mony Mony)  
Mony Mony (Mony Mony)_

_Come on Come on Come on (Mony Mony)_

_Mony mony  
Well I feel all right, I said yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah  
Yeah alriiiiiight!  
_

About that time Kim caught a wink then a waggling of eyebrows from her boyfriend and blushed even more than before. It took every bit of willpower she had to not leap at him right there, wrap her legs around his waist and try and give him a toungesillectomy.

The song started winding down, nearly everyone started clapping as Ron was repeating "Thank you, thank you."

Ron looked at his still slightly stunned girlfriend, "How was that one KP?"

"Uhhh, real good Ron."

"_Monique, _I seen that one in list and thought of you. Ya see I've been waiting a couple a years for the perfect payback."

Poor Monique could barely string two words together. "Payback?"

"Yep, maybe the next time I tell ya something off the wall, like oh I don't know, that KP might be crushing on me or something like that, maybe you'll believe me. A booyaa! 'Cuse me ladies, I gotta go wash this goop outta my hair, it's messing with my essential 'Ronness'."

Stunned, Monique just stared at the door Ron disappeared behind. "Uhh, Kim?"

After what they had just witnessed, Kim really didn't feel comfortable with either 'Mon' or 'Moni', "Nique?

"Kim, you're my friend, and I love ya like a sister. But I'm telling ya, you better hurry up and claim that boy for real!"

"Oh yeah!"

Monique just kept looking at the door, "Kim, I'm telling ya this for your own good. Cause if his as good in bed as he performs, he's definitely gonna be AMITS!

Kim was too confused to puzzle out Monique speak just then. She looked at the girl beside her, saying, "Huh?"

"A monster in the sack! And if you don't want 'em, you just let me know, cause I'll take 'em off your hands. I ain't playing wit you, girl!"

Then a thought hit Kim like a thunderbolt. Shunya had made arrangements with Kaname and Sousuke to take himself and Ayame back to New York tonight and Wade was going to be in lab/workshop. She was going to be alone with Ron in the apartment overnight for the first time since they'd moved in. BooYaaaaa!

She started getting a gleam in her eye when she replied, whispering, "Oh Yeah! There's gonna be no one home tonight but us and Wade. And Wade's in the basement!"

Then her world crashed. Wade asked the Tweebs if they wanted to spend the night, the Tweebs asked her Dad and he said he had no problem with it.

NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

* * *

The following morning found Ron in the garage, avoiding his tweaked girlfriend, Elma Lee on the lift, wheels about two feet off the floor. Ron was on a creeper with a light going over the chassis of Elma Lee. She didn't feel any different when he drove her home last night, but both Roger and Sagara had taught him it was better to find a problem and fix it before something broke leaving you sitting on the side of the road.

He was shining the light all around the suspension and underbody looking for damage from the run up Ridgeline Road. So far all he had found was a layer of dried mud coating the wheel wells. Pulling himself out from under the car, he went to the tool boxes. He opened different drawers and found a wire brush, scraper, goggles, dust-mask and nozzle attachment to the air-hose.

After plugging the nozzle to an air line and settling the goggles and mask on his face, he sat back on the creeper and began to clean away the dirt and bits of gravel from the undercarriage. He used the scraper and brush to loosen the dirt and the air-hose to blow it away, thankful for the PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) Roger had always insisted on using.

Looking at the brush in his hand, Ron cursed and his heart cracked as he remembered something else Will Du had taken from him. He remembered a conversation he had with his Uncle about a couple of months before his murder.

Ron had been using that same wire brush to strip away a rust spot on one of the rear quarter-panels when the man had asked if Ron wanted to go up to his cabin with him before winter set in so they could inspect the property and make a list of things Roger needed to buy so he could make any needed repairs the following spring.

Ron had readily agreed. But the plan had been put on hold when Ron had the ground open beneath him on his way to pick up a voltage regulator for Rogers truck one day. In the months since, other things had interfered with the trip into the mountains, starting with his moving into the garage.

Since Roger left the cabin to him, he made a decision. He quickly finished his inspection, put the tools away and cleaned up the mess from under the lift. He descended into basement and buzzed Wade to open the door. Pulling Wade aside while the Tweebs worked on something else, he told genius what he wanted. Wade logged into an orbiting satellite and pulled up the overheads.

"So how 'bout it, Wade? Can I get up there?"

"Ron, I don't know. You can't drive up there, snow's too deep. It'll be spring before the trails clear enough to let you through. Even with the Sloth's enhanced traction. It's too far for snowmobiles unless you're dragging a couple of ahkios full of gas."

"You could get there by helicopter, but they couldn't land anywhere close except right by the lakes edge. But there's a problem with that. The lake's not frozen over, just the shoreline. And since you can't tell where the shoreline is, they could easily drop you right in the water. Even then they couldn't stay on station. They'd have to hover, let you out and return to base."

"And, Ron, the way the weather is, there's no telling when they could get back up there to get you out."

Ron was scrolling the image trying to find an answer. "So there's no way up there 'til spring?"

He could see how much this meant to his friend, so Wade was racking his brain trying to find a solution. "Ron there might be a way. Talk to Motor Ed."

"Motor Ed?"

"Yea, he said he was working on an All Terrain Vehicle that could, quote 'Go anywhere, anytime. Seriously!' Let's see if he can back it up."

* * *

An hour later found Ron and Wade looking Ed's idea of an SUV.

"Dude's, this baby can go just about anywhere. Seriously!"

The 'baby' Motor Ed was talking about was a modified Dodge Ramcharger 4X4 sitting on a set of tracks, one for where each wheel used to be.

"I was gonna keep the stock 440 and build it up, but when I crunched the numbers, the tracks woulda' harshed on the mileage, Seriously!" When Ron and Wade looked at the mullet wearing, mustached man with confused expressions, he said, "Dudes I might be a gear-head, but I got dual degrees in Mechanical and Automotive Engineering."

"Anyway, so I pulled out the whole drive train and replaced it with one of Wadester's hybrid turbines and put a sealed electric motor on each wheel hub. The hybrid puts out about a thousand kilowatts. Dudes, that's over 1300 horsepower. Air Guitar, Waaaaannnannanna"

"Each one of the motors on the hubs are rated at over 400 kilowatts," Ed started wobbling his hand, "call it 530 plus horsepower, but the onboard sensors and computers will spread the power to each hub even if one of them starts to lose traction."

"She's not gonna be the fastest thing on the road, but she'll climb up a 22 inch vertical rise and up a 100 percent grade. You can even take a 22 percent side slope. Dudes, in the snow, she's got like over 22 square feet of contact surface and less than 2 psi of ground pressure. Righteous!"

Ron was scratching his head as he said, "Ya know, I never thought I'd say this, but Ed, ya mind if I use your truck this weekend?"

* * *

Noon found Ron in the garage again, this time loading the back of Ed's Ramcharger with enough gear for two people for the next few days. After hearing what Ron had planned Kim insisted on accompanying him into the mountains. She wasn't about to let him travel alone into the backwoods alone, for safety's sake if nothing else.

"Ron, you're talking about taking a trip into the mountains, in an untested vehicle, in the middle of winter. We have 3 foot drifts on the sidewalks here in town. I looked over some of the shots from the route you wanna take. The snow's 8 feet deep in places. You are so not going alone. Period!"

"KP, ya don't have to go. Sure Ed's truck is 'untested'. But every part of it is either 'Wade-tested and approved' or off-the-shelf. And it's just gonna be a one or two night trip at most. I'm just gonna go up, take a look, get an idea of what the place needs and come back. From what Roger told me about the place, I know for a fact there's no running water and only an outhouse. If I gotta stay couple a days, that's fine for me."

Ron winced cause he knew his next words could blow up in his face, "But I know how ya get if ya have ta go without a bathroom and a shower for a couple a days. On a mission, ya deal. But if ya don't have to, you're gonna get tweaked and I'm afraid ya might blame me for it."

Kim eyed him for a second, then grinned. "You're right, Ronnie. I'll make ya a deal. You let me go with you and I promise not to blame you if it goes south. OK?"

Ron looked at her sidelong, "No gettin' tweaked at the Ronster?"

"Nope."

He sighed and answered, "Alright, but ya better pack your arctic gear just in case."

Once the truck was packed, Wade provided them with a GPS route and weather report for the next few days. According to the weather forecast, it was going to be clear skies and cold for the next week. Ron made a stop at Roger's house to get the cabin keys and a few things from the garage as well as doing a quick check of the house and they were off.

The tracked truck was limited to 40 mph on the road and it took an hour and a half before they got to the turnoff. The plows had pushed the snow into drifts close to ten feet deep in places, but Ron found a place to ford the snow bank and get to the logging road that led into the forest.

That was the easy part. The hard part was making sure they stayed on the track, but Ron kept the power down and followed Kim's directions exactly and the SUV made easy work of the drifts through the forest. They found out just how deep the snow was when they stopped after another two hours for a 'Rest Break'. Deceived by the way the SUV seemed to float across the snow, Ron opened the door, stepped out of the truck and vanished, leaving a Ron shaped hole in the snow.

"RON!"

"I'm OK, KP, just give me a minute."

"Huh? Ron?"

"Just a sec KP." Kim was confused, looking out the open driver's door to the hole Ron dropped into.

A minute or two later, Ron said, "KP? A little help here." She could barely see his fingers waving inside the hole. She slid across and pulled him back up into the truck.

Strangely the first words out of his mouth were, "That's better!"

"Well it is freezing out there, Ron."

"It's not that, KP. I just really had to go."

It took her a second to get it. "EEEWWWWWW! Ron?"

"What? You think it's gonna be any better for you? I told ya before we started that an outhouse is it." Ron pointed with his thumb to the hole, "Besides, I figured out it's strangely a little warmer down there. Probably cause it's out of the wind."

"Ron?"

"And I can guarantee it's about as private as you can get out here."

"RON!"

"Just be sure to pack the snow away from ya enough to do your business."

Kim's face was nearly the color of her hair and it had nothing to do with the cold outside the SUV, "ROOOONNNN!"

Ron climbed into the back seat, "Hey, I got a stash of TP somewhere around here KP, hold on."

Kim couldn't believe what was happening. She knew sometimes Ron either wouldn't let go of a concept or get focused on one to the extent he blotted nearly everything out, but come on! We're talking about bodily functions here that she would have rather left in private.

She grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him back to the front, "Ron, I don't have to go that bad! I think I can wait 'til we get to the cabin. Let's just go. The sooner we get there the better."

He held up the roll of paper with a grin, "Ya sure, KP?"

Suddenly there was no way she could hold it any longer. She snatched the roll from him, "Rrrrr, gimme that!" She opened her door and bailed out, disappearing just like he did. "And don't peek either!" came from the Kim shaped hole.

A few minutes later he helped her back up and they were moving again. Six hours from when they left base, they were coming up on the cabin. Whoever had sited it originally had done well. It was set back from the lake and sat on a slight rise that left it mostly free from the snow, except for the windward side which had the snow drifted against two sides.

The front of the cabin was mostly clear of the drifted white stuff letting them clearly see the bottom half of the tree that had been blown into the front of the structure. Half the front wall and several of the windows were missing.

They got out of the truck and looked through the huge hole in the wall to find the branches practically filled the main room along with evidence that several small animals had made the interior their home.

Ron's shoulders slumped, "Rats! I'm sorry, KP. I thought it was habitable."

"Ronnie, I saw the same shots you did. From above, it looked fine. It's not your fault, but what are we gonna do? We can't stay in here, not with that tree there. It'll take us all night to clear it enough to sleep in there, not to mention the chimney's cracked. The fumes from the fire could kill us. And I don't know about you, but I'm gettin a bit tired. I so don't wanna think about having to make another six hour drive back home."

He thought about it for a minute, looking around in the failing light. His eyes lit on the side of the mountain. "Come on, KP. I got an idea." He led her back to the truck and they started out again.

When she asked him what he had in mind, he replied, "A place Uncle Rog told me about. Just up the side of the mountain, right at the base of the cliff face there." He pointed to a cliff with a blaze of quartz, like a lighting bolt, in the face.

Twenty minutes later, they approached the spot. An overhang in the cliff set above the surrounding ground level, surprisingly with a small spring flowing from the heart of the mountain, forming an ice plain on the downhill side, before disappearing beneath the snow. The floor of the semi-cave was dry, sandy and free from the drifted snow that covered the lower ground. A low wall of stones in front of the fire-pit, smoke covered roof and large log to one side the pit of the showed that the spot had been used many times before and just down the slope was a large pile of deadfall wood.

Kim beamed "Ron, this is perfect!"

Ron was able to back the SUV almost into the over-hang. Once the truck was parked, Kim called in to let Wade know the sitch while Ron unloaded their gear. He had expected to have to use the bags and cold weather gear, but he'd planned on the cabin at least being able to keep them inside. The loss of the cabin put a big crimp the sleeping sitch.

Once he had the gear unloaded, he trudged out to the deadfall. One of the things he pulled out was the chainsaw and safety glasses he'd picked up from Roger's. Luckily it was well tuned and started after a few pulls and Ron gathered enough wood to get a fire going.

In the meantime, after checking in with Wade, Kim pulled out an entrenching tool and started digging a long shallow trench in the sandy floor a few feet from the fire pit. Ron shut the saw down and gathered up what he'd cut so far and made his way back to the camp.

Kim grinned at him and headed out to the deadfall. She grabbed the saw and glasses and took over gathering enough wood to last the night. Ron found it amusing to see his girl tearing into the fallen trees, wearing a savage grin as the saw made short work of the limbs and trunk of her chosen target.

When Ron had the fire going, he filled a pot with water from the spring and started their dinner. Dropping all the ingredients in the pot, he carefully set it to simmering and let Kim rest as he kept cutting. After a few minutes to rest and warm her hands, she started carrying the wood while Ron kept cutting. They were both careful to work hard, but not so hard they started sweating. They traded the carrying and cutting until they had a large pile of ready firewood.

It wasn't long before they'd filled the pit with all of the smaller sticks and branches, saving the bigger pieces for the fire-pit. Kim sprinkled a bit of fuel from the saw onto the wood in the trench and tossed in a burning brand from the cook fire. Instantly the trench blazed up.

Keeping to the side of both fires, Ron dished up the stew. The low wall in front of the cook fire acted as a reflector, sending back a rosy warmth that belied the bitter cold outside the snug little cave. They sat cuddled on the log chatting as the fire in the trench burned merrily. When it finally settled into a bed of coals, they covered it with the sand Kim had set to the side and set the pair of sleeping pads on top adding their sleeping bags.

Between the calm night, reflector wall in front of the pit, the fire filled trench and the stone wall behind them the temperature in the cave climbed to the point they were able to remove most of the layers they were wearing. Boots to the side of the fire, toes basking in the heat, cuddled under a blanket looking out over the frozen lake shimmering in the crystal clear night in front of them, it was strangely the most romantic thing she'd ever even heard of. Looking at the man beside her, Kim made a decision.

Pulling on enough to make a quick foray into the cold, she excused herself, going one way, telling Ron he'd best go the other and get ready to settle in for the night. When she was out of sight of the camp, she pulled out her Kimmunicator and called Wade.

"What's up, Kim?"

"Wade, I need a favor."

"Sure, what a ya need?"

Kim started blushing, "Unless the aliens are landing again or the world's gonna blow up before tomorrow morning, please don't call us until we call ya back. OK?"

The young teen gives her a look for a second that says confused; then a light goes on behind his eyes. "You got it, Kim"

She was mortified that he'd figured it out and blushed even harder, but that didn't stop her from saying, "Thanks Wade."

He said, "No problem, Kim and 'Good Luck'. Wade out." Shutting down the link before she could get another word out.

When he'd closed the connection, Wade pulled up a file; it was a list of names and dates. Looking at the list, he couldn't believe his eye's, seeing the name of James T. Possible as the winner of the pool.


	43. Political Dissidence

**The chapters are coming a lot faster now. A big part of that is due is my Beta Team Sentinel and CajunBear.**

**Thanks Dudes**

**Chapter 43 Political Dissidence**

If their arrival back in New York was late by Middleton time, it was very late by Eastern Time. It was only the excitement of the flight back that kept Ayame from nodding off and her adrenaline rush caused her to 'crash and burn' as Sousuke put it just before they got to Shunya's Upper East Side Brownstone home. Even Kaname was leaning against her Fiancé, who had insisted on carrying his future Sister-in-law, as they ascended the steps to the entryway.

Shunya, carrying the couple's overnight bags, was amused as the young man held his youngest in his arms as they crossed the threshold. So much so he felt compelled to tease the Soldier, _"Soko ni wakai hito wa chūi shite kudasai. Dare ka ga kawari ni Kaname no Ayame to kekkon s__hite iru to omou kamo shiremasen." _("Be careful there, young man. Someone might think you're marrying Ayame instead of Kaname.")

Kaname instantly blushed, "_Otōsan!_"

Shunya was on a roll, "_Kanojo wa kare no ude no naka de kanari kaiteki ni mieru ka_." ("She does look rather comfortable in his arms.")

Kaname glared at her beau for an instant, then smiled beatifically at her Father, "_Shikashi chichi wa, kanojo wa Load-san ni haruka ni kyōmi o motte imasu. Tabun kanojo wa o miai o hitsuyō to shite imasu!_" ("But Father, she's much more interested in Load-san. Maybe she needs an omiai!")

Shunya immediately backpedaled, "Uhh. _Kanojo wa ima sono yōna monogoto ni wa waka sugirudesu._" (Uhh. She is much too young to think about such things right now.)

He pointed up the stairs, "_Kon'ya, Kaname-chan, no tame ni anata ga kanojo no futon ni anata no imōto ni yakudatsudarou? Anata ga sore o hidari no yō ni o heya ga arimasu. Sagara-san wa, watashi ni shitagau to, anata ga nete __iru doko watashi wa anata ga hy__ōji sa rem__asu._" ("For tonight, Kaname-chan, would you help your sister into bed? Your room is as you left it. Sagara-san, follow me and I will show you where you are to sleep.")

"_Shikashi, otōsan…_" ("But, Daddy…)

The Elder Chidori glared at his daughter, "_Anata no__ ie, anata no rūru. Watashi no ie, watashi no rūru! Hikisū nashi! Watashi wa isshun de anata no baggu no ue no kai o motte kuru."_ ("Your home, your rules. My home, my rules! No arguments. I'll bring your bag upstairs in a moment.")

She looked resigned to the situation. _"Otōsan hai" _("Yes daddy.") She took her sister from Sousuke and led the sleepwalking girl up the stairs.

Shunya moved downstairs to the basement followed by Sousuke. A large portion of the basement contained what could only be called a 'Man Cave'. There was an overstuffed couch against one wall and a huge HiDef on the other encased in an entertainment center. Shunya dropped Sousuke's bag on the couch.

Because they were no longer around his youngest, Shunya switched to English, "I assure you the couch is very comfortable, Sagara-san. An American colleague of mine introduced me to the concept of a 'Man Cave'. I find it an excellent place to relax. Almost as good as a Zen garden."

"Thank you, Sir."

"It's my pleasure Sagara-san. You have made my daughter a very happy young woman tonight."

Sousuke looked abashed, "Not as happy as she's made me, Sir."

"By the way, that was well done, young man, very well done. Your proposal, I mean."

Shunya eyed the young Soldier, "I would like to hear your thoughts on a…situation I have."

"Certainly, Sir"

"For the last three and a half years, as my eldest daughter pursued her education, I've only seen her infrequently. We were separated by half the planet while I was assigned to UN Headquarters in New York."

"Here's my quandary. Next year, I will be recalled to Japan when my appointment to the UN ends. She is going to be here, in the States, for the next three and a half years at least. Maybe longer if she decides to pursue her Master's. We will once again be separated by half the planet."

"Both Ayame and myself find that neither of us like that idea very much. I would like to find a way to be closer to her if at all possible."

Shunya smirked at Sagara, "How would you suggest we accomplish this, young man." It was time to see if his daughter's fiancé could think outside of a Combat situation.

Sousuke rubbed his chin, "You would not insist she transfer to Todai or another University in Japan?"

"No. I will not stand in the way of my daughter's education. She has made her decision like an adult. I will not treat her as a child and unmake it for her."

"Then the only solution, Sir, is for you to find an appointment closer to her. 'If Mohammad will not come to the mountain, then the mountain must go to Mohammad.' You are a trained diplomat. You could be expected to be assigned anywhere in the world to represent Japanese interests." He pondered for a moment, "Denver. Is there not a Japanese Consulate in Denver?"

Shunya smiled, "Very good. There is a Consulate General's office in downtown Denver, close to the I70/I25 interchange, about an hour's drive from your home. That was exactly the assignment I requested and was granted." He looked at the younger man conspiratorially, "Ayame doesn't know yet. I intend to make the announcement to my daughters at Christmas. Would like to help me set up the surprise?"

"I would be Honored, Sir."

"Excellent. Bedding and pillow are in the closet. Your bathroom is on the first floor, down the hall, on the right." He nodded as he made a decision, "We'll see you in the morning, Sagara-_kun_."

Sousuke was so surprised at the change in suffixes from the formal -san to the more personal -kun he automatically bowed and said, "Goodnight Chidori-ue." He held the bow until Shunya ascended the stairs.

(_Ue_ literally means "above", and denotes a high level of respect. While its use is no longer very common, it is still seen in constructions like _chichi-ue_ and _haha-ue_ reverent terms for "father" and "mother" respectively.)

* * *

Lying on her side, she felt a pair of arms lightly curled around her, one she was using as a pillow and the other around her waist with the owner's hand resting on her breast. Feeling the owner's breath gently tickling the back of her neck, she awoke warm and contented. Her only surprise was she was the one holding his hand in its place at her breast. Without opening her eyes, she smiled as she cuddled back closer to her man and was rewarded with a slight tightening of his grip, both with his arms and his hands. Her smile grew.

She had settled back to savor the moment, when Ron surprised her. Quietly, almost whisperingly, he said, "If we wanna make it back before it gets too late, we gotta get moving, KP."

Without moving, she asked, "How'd you know I was up?"

"Ahh, but you see you're not 'up'. We might be awake, but we're not 'up' yet."

"Do we have to get up? I'd rather just stay here for awhile."

Ron leaned up a bit to look at the firepit, then slid a hand out of the bag and felt the ground. "Well, the fire needs to be fed and I'll bet the warming fire under us is about gone too. So one of us is gonna have to throw some wood on the fire or we'll freeze."

Rolling in his arms, she grinned at him, "I'm sure we can figure a way to keep warm."

"Ohh, that'll def work, KP. Least till we starve to death."

Kim's eyes started to grow and her bottom lip began to stick out with the beginnings of a PDP. Ron merely reached up and pushed her bottom lip back, saying, "Don't even try it, KP. Besides, I'm gonna have to get up anyway. Nature calls."

"Ugggg, you had to say it." As soon as he said it, she felt her own need to go.

"Sorry. Here, skouch down." She knew what was coming. When she was settled deeper into the bag, Ron reached for his pack. First he pulled out a pair of thermal shirts and pulled himself back under cover.

"WHOA! It's gotta be like 10 below out there!" He handed her one of the thermals and donned the other. Kim knew she was agile, but the two of them trying to get dressed inside even a double bag was an endeavor. Once the couple had an upper layer on, they flipped the bag open to their waist and Ron drug Kim's pack close enough for her to reach it, then rooted through his pack some more.

Putting on the bottom layers without opening the bag all the way was even harder. Once they had on at least a single layer and Ron pulled out his flip-flops, they emerged. He slipped on the footwear, walked to the woodpile and started stoking the fire. While he worked on keeping them from freezing, Kim pulled the rest of the clothes they would need for the day from their packs.

With the fire blazing, they finished dressing. They'd set their boots close enough to the fire the night before so that, while they weren't nice and toasty, they weren't freezing either.

Then, while Ron whipped up breakfast, Kim started reloading the packs, rolling the sleeping bag and mats, then loading everything back into Motor Ed's Ramcharger. When she had everything put away that she could, she trudged out one way and Ron went the other to answer Mother Nature's call.

When they returned she gave him an evil eye, "You guys are so lucky. Just unzip and go, we actually have to drop 'trou'."

He just grinned and said, "And that's my fault how, KP?"

Fully dressed with a hot meal inside them, they finished loading and policing up the snug little campsite.

Kim looked around seeing the sun rising and noted the direction the cliff side overhang was facing. "Ronnie, we oughta come back here in the summer." She indicated the semi-cave, "I bet most of this is in the shade in the summer. It'd be nice to campout without it being a mission and this is a really spanking spot."

Ron put on his goofy grin, "Were ya thinking that before or _after_ last night?"

She lightly kissed him, "Both." The light kissing quickly progressed before Kim came up for air. Breaking off the incipient make-out session, they got back to the business of leaving.

Ron pulled the first of the five gallon fuel cans from the back and started refilling the truck's tank. Twenty gallons later, they climbed back into the SUV. Ron turned the 'Master Switch' and pushed the start button. He was rewarded with the sound of a rising whine. A few seconds later there was a 'Whooooooosh' as the turbine ignited and all the gauges started climbing into the 'green'.

Ron looked at the gauges, turned to Kim and said, "Ya know, I don't think I'll ever get used to a truck engine making a sound like that. I mean, a real truck should kinda sound like my car."

"Most def not the normal sounding truck, but it seems to use a lot less gas then I thought it would." They'd brought eight cans of fuel just in case.

Ron stuck the truck in drive and pulled away from the sheltering overhang. Down the slope and through the trees, he drove back to the cabin half a mile away. When they got there, he drove up onto the rise the cabin sat on and out of the deeper snow in the lower laying areas. Pulling their coats on, they started to examine the area.

Now in the light of day, they could see what had caused the tree to end up in the cabin. A path of fallen trees told the tale. Although uncommon, tornadoes do occur and sometime in the last year one had come through and sent the tree flying.

The young couple moved to the structure itself. The log cabin was fairly well made, but old. The lower third of the walls were fieldstone with the logs adzed to make the top and bottom of each log flat and smooth, leaving no gaps between the logs.

Ron looked around, clambering over the tree driven through the front wall, careful about where he set his hands and feet. The floor was earthen, beaten nearly to the hardness of concrete. The open fireplace and hearth were fieldstone closely laid together using minimal mortar. The windows were shuttered with very thick wood and a cross cut into the center of the shutters. The roof beams looked like they were at least eight inches thick with boards laid across the beams and somehow sealed. A part of the tree that created the damage in the first place had knocked a hole in the chimney.

Once inside, they wandered a bit. Kim noticed that the builder had filled the few spaces in the walls with newspaper for insulation. She a pulled a piece from between the wall and looked at the date on the header.

"Ron, this says February 1905 on it! How long has this place been here?"

"According to Uncle Roger, there was an old prospector's log cabin here from the mid 1800's. Sometime before the First World War, somebody rebuilt it. The last one to really do any work on it was my Great-Grandpa when he dug the new outhouse after the Second World War."

Kim noticed the cross shapes cut in the shutters. She pointed and asked, "Some of your ancestors were Christian?"

"Ahhhh, no, KP."

Kim looked from him to the windows and back again, the question obvious on her face. Ron walked to the window and said, "It's for fields of fire. Up and down, left and right. That's why the wall is solid rock to the waist and the shutters are so thick. To keep the Indians from hitting you with return fire."

"Well when you get this fixed back up, I don't think you need them anymore."

Ron looked closely at the hole in the front wall. "I dunno, KP. I got no idea what it'll take to fix this up. I was figgering maybe cleaning the place up or replacing a window or something. But this? Half the wall's gone!"

Kim glanced around then looked at her lover pensively, "Ronnie, I never asked. But could you afford to have someone do the work?"

"Sure, but I dunno." He suddenly looked miserable, "I mean, Rog was planning on doing the work himself. And I kinda wanna …" he trailed off as his jaw trembled.

Suddenly she was holding him as the pain came again. "I understand, Ronnie. It's like your car. You want to do it yourself, don't you?" She felt him nodding. "Well how about this? We get Wade to ask around and see if we can find you a contractor or an expert, then get them to show you how to do it. Just like Roger did for you and Elma Lee. How's that sound?"

He sniffled a bit and said, "That sounds great, KP."

"Then let's get home and have Wade start making some calls."

* * *

The Thanksgiving Break came to an end and everyone dove back into the grind as the professors started ramping up for semester finals. Wade had found Ron a contractor willing to work with the young man to repair the cabin.

He told Ron that the best thing to do would be to apprentice with him for the first half of the summer and do the work in the second half. IF the cabin was worth the effort. He agreed to go up to the cabin in the spring and give Ron his best estimate about the place.

In the meantime, classes were getting harder. All four of the college students had taken to spending a part of the day in either the library or at the Student Studies Center while working on their assignments.

Ron approaches the Center only to see a bunch of protesters waving signs and shouting slogans. Shaking his head, not really paying them any mind, he stomped the snow from his boots outside the entrance. Inside he found a multitude of students milling around carrying a selection of coffees, lattes or hot chocolate.

Many were seated in front of laptops, books open beside them. Others had their faces buried in textbooks, highlighters flying or scribbling notes. There was a large group with raised voices trying to be heard over the din in the large room. They seemed to be arguing some political point or another.

Ron didn't care one way or the other. He liked Roger's take on such people. They had the Freedom of Speech guaranteed in the First Amendment. If they wanted to be yammerheads, they could be yammerheads, as long as they left him alone.

Weaving his way through the crowd, Ron made his way to the back of the room. Spotting a mane of red hair, he threaded closer, he verified it was his love. There were several redheads in the crowd after all. She was seated with Kaname and Sagara with a selection of hot drinks in front of them, including a coffee for him.

Anybody else wouldn't be able to tell, but Ron had come to know Sagara well enough to tell he was clearly nervous in the crowded room and Ron could tell that the aggressiveness of the protesters inside only made it worse for him. The closely packed sea of students basically cut the Soldiers sight lines to ZERO and Sousuke DID NOT like that. The only reason he was even in the room in the first place was the deprogramming efforts of his fiancée.

As he made his way past the last of the crowd, he called out, "KP!"

Having not seen him since early that morning, her smile lit up as she called back, "Ron!"

When he got close enough, he enfolded her in a hug and gave her a smooch. Breaking the kiss, he loudly asked, "How's my woman doing this fine bondiggity afternoon?"

From off to the side, he heard a female voice scream, "HOW DARE YOU!" Thinking someone was assaulting a female student, all four reacted, scanning for the 'perp'. And one of the first things they did automatically was tap a button on their Kimmunicators starting them recording and alerting Wade they may need instant tech support.

Imagine their shock when a trio of young women stormed up to Ron. "We're here holding a rally against male oppression and you say something like that? We oughta report you to the Deans office for sexual harassment."

Ron is obviously confused. So was Sagara. Now, that's not really an unusual occurrence. What was unusual was both Kim and Kaname were looking at the enraged females perplexed as well.

Ron glanced at his girlfriend, who shrugged, the other couple, Kaname shook her head. She had no idea and Sousuke was obviously at a loss.

One of the trio, the leader evidently, said, "Well, what do ya have to say for yourself?

Ron addressed the trio, "Uhh, what're ya talking about?"

"The fact that you called this poor defenseless girl 'My Woman' like you owned her or something!"

"….Again I ask, **what** are you talking about? And who's this 'poor defenseless girl' you're going on about? The only person I've said a word to since I got here was KP. And believe me, she's anything but defenseless!"

"Typical sexist male. Stupid and clueless. Hiding behind the bourgeois propaganda!"

"Now let's just wait a minute here. I'll cop to the male tag and maybe even the clueless one. But I ain't either sexist or stupid. A bit uneducated maybe, 'cause I don't remember off the top of my head what 'bougwhaaw' means, but that's one of the reasons I'm in college. Now I don't know what's got you chicks panties in a twist, but the bathrooms are right over there so how bout you disappear and go unbunch your shorts"

"We're NOT 'Chicks'! We're women. 'Disappear to the bathroom'? Just like 'Disappear to the kitchen', 'Disappear to the bedroom.' That sounds like another typical sexist male response."

"Hey! That's the second time you've called me sexist. Now I followed KP's orders on missions for years and never thought a thing about it. Hell, she's still the Team Leader. I doubt that sounds like something a 'sexist male' would do?"

"You were probably thinking about trying to get into the poor girls pants the whole time, too."

"Actually Nooo! That thought never occurred to me until just before the 'Night of the Diablo's'." Kim blushed to the roots of her hair. "Before ol' 901 came along, for the most part she was just KP to me."

"And that derogatory Kay Pee. I doubt seriously that's her name."

Ron was getting exasperated, "I've called her that since we were four and she's never said anything about it in her life."

"She was probably too scared you'd get violent if she did."

Ron immediately cracked up. "Me 'Get Violent' with KP?" he air quoted. "Ya gotta be joking. HAHAHAHAHA, she woulda sooooooooo kicked my ass if I even tried it. Last time we were in the dojo, only reason I won was she missed getting my Bo away from me before I laid her out."

"YOU HIT HER? YOU BASTARD!"

"Hey! Listen!" Like he was speaking to a simple child, Ron continued "It…was…a…spar…ring…match. The last time I tried holding back in one, she totally kicked my biscuit telling me if I did it again she was gonna do ten times worse. Of course I tried to hit her. Hellooooo! That's kinda the point behind a sparring match."

One of the other girls in the trio said, "You're probably one of those gun-toting thugs, too."

Ron just looked confused with a raised eyebrow. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, flashing the inside at her. "Do you see this? It's caaaaaalled a baaaaadge. Beside it, is my ID. As you can see, I'm a carded Law Enforcement Officer." He waved his thumb at the rest of the Team, "All of us are! Of course we're carrying guns. As a matter of fact, it's against the regs for us to NOT be armed in public. Don't mean we gotta use 'em, but we still gotta carry 'em." He put his wallet away.

Gasp. "This campus is a 'Gun Free Zone'. I'm calling 911."

"Go ahead, when ya talk to dispatch, it should be Dunn on radio duty. Tell 'em Ron wants his twenty bucks, the MHS Mad Dawgz won last night. And second, as for a 'Gun Free Zone', how bout you show me a cop wandering around this campus that ain't packin' heat. Good luck with that. Look ladies, this conversation's gone about as far as it's going to."

"No it hasn't! We're empowered women, fighting to end the sexist discrimination that occurs every day by men just like you trying to oppress the women of the world, you bastard!"

Ron looked perplexed for a moment, then a light of understanding appeared on his face, "….OHHHh, I see what's happening here. You're away from home for the first time in your lives and you've started sucking up the pabulum a lot a morons try spoon feeding people around here. Well guess what. Your personal opinion of me," In a surprising display of flexibility and strength, Ron lifted his foot to shoulder height and pointed to the sole of his boot. "Means less to me than the gum on the bottom of my boot. It's merely an irritant that'll go away after I scrape it on the ground for a moment. After that, it's forgotten."

"No it's not! We won't be forgotten and we be won't silenced. We're going to see to it that the women of the world rise up and throw off the shackles of male oppression."

Ron looked over at his girlfriend, "Nothing worse than a zealot. They never shut up and they never change the subject." Kim and Kaname both snorted trying to hold back their laughter. Many in the crowd that had taken an interest in the events didn't even bother.

Ron looked back at the trio accosting him. "You go right ahead with that. One of the things I've been studying here is 'The Constitution', so let's see, off the top of my head, those sorta activities would fall under Rights of 'Freedom of Assembly' and the 'Freedom of Speech'. As long as ya do it peaceably, ya can knock yourselves out. However, your Rights end when you start inciting to riot or advocating the use of violence."

"If rioting or violence is what it takes, then so be it, you sexist male pig!"

"HEY! Now that's the third time you've called me sexist and about the fifth or sixth time you've called me something derogatory! And not once have I called you a derogatory name ya, ya, ya FemiNazi! Your major problem with me seems to be the fact I have a penis and you don't! Well it's not my fault if ya feel you were born with the wrong chromosome! GodDammit, this is why I avoid political talks! Yammerheaded zealots, every last one of ya!" Ron was getting livid by now, his eyes starting to flash blue.

Kim breaks in, putting herself between Ron and the trio that was fast making themselves 'targets'. Soothingly she said, "Ronnie, normally I'd be all for you standing up for yourself, honey. But I'd like to ask you to let me handle this. Please."

It was the 'Please' that really set off the trio in front of them "'Please?' How can you possibly abase yourself to this pig? Don't you have any self-respect?"

Ron just quietly said, 'Uh oh."

Slowly, like a battleships turret, Kim's head turned to face the trio. "Abase myself? You've got it all wrong. I'm trying to keep you morons out of trouble. All of this started 'cause you stuck your noses where they weren't wanted. And Self-respect? Don't you realize who I am?"

"Another woman that's been brainwashed by sexist male oppression."

The Team looked at these three stunned. Most of the people in the room had stopped what ever they were doing to see what was going on in the back corner. Many of the crowd started laughing.

"I don't believe it! They don't know who she is!"

"That's impossible; she's only on the news like every other week."

"Have they been under a rock since the age of two?"

"HAHAHA, No, they been spoon-fed pabulum all their lives!"

One of the crowd shouted out, "Hey FemiNazis, that's Kim Possible and her crew. She's probably the toughest bitch on the planet."

The now labeled FemiNazis were furious and asked "So you're just gonna let him get away with calling you 'His Woman'?"

"Of course! He's 'My Man'! He can call me 'His Woman' if he wants. It shows I belong with him and no one else and vice versa. But it's like respect, it's a two way street. As long as I respect him, I'll be 'His Woman', as long as he respects me, he's 'My Man'. If you don't like it, that's tough. I'll thank you to mind your own business and stay out of mine from now on! I think the last six years of freak fighting has proven I can more than handle myself against any of your so called 'sexist male oppression'. Come on, Ronnie! Let's go so these yammerheads can get back to their political dissidence."

* * *

The next day, Fukushima was sending Ron through his paces with the _Katana_. He grudgingly had to admit that his _Gakusei_ had improved and progressed to the point he had no choice but to advance him to the next stage.

Watching as his _Gakusei_ reached the end of the Kata and before the sweating young man launched himself into the next, he called out. "_Teishi!"_

Ron came to a stop, but held the _Katana_ at the ready. No matter how much he hated it, the Sensei had to admit his _Gakusei_ never quit, never slacked off, and never questioned some of the insane sounding things he had put him through.

"_Anshin shite. Anata jishin, ikutsu ka no mizu shutoku to sū-fun o okimasu." _("At Ease. Get yourself some water and rest a few minutes.")

Nodding Ron said, _"Sensei Hai."_ Breathing hard, Ron dropped his guard and walked to the cooler and pulled out a bottle of water. He filled his mouth and rinsed it, then spit it out in to a trash can. After downing half the bottle, he held his head over the can and poured the rest on the back of his head and neck. Grabbing a second bottle, he drank this one slower as he let the water drip down his back cooling him down. When he'd finished the second bottle, he grabbed one of the towels and started wiping his face, the back of his neck and trying to dry his hair a bit.

While Ron was taking his break, Fukushima went to his bag and pulled out one of the last items Sensei had sent with him: a _Saya_ with a basket around the _Tsuka_. It was meant to be held in the off hand and instead of pointing forward, it was often held reversed from the normal sword position.

Not a trophy or for display, it was a working weapon meant to be used in conjunction with the Swordmaster's _Katana_. It wasn't designed to cut an opponent, but to parry or block the enemy's weapons. It was simple looking, with plain lacquered hardwood and burnished blunted steel along both the upper and lower edges. It wasn't a weapon on its own right, but it could be used to bludgeon an opponent if needed

It took a significant amount of skill to use the both of them to full effect, but if the Swordsman could do so, the Saya could have a devastating effect on the battle.

"_Bokut__ō o katazukeru. Anata wa kunren no nokori no raibu no ken o shiyō suru kotodesu. Anata no buki o erabimashita." _("Put away the Bokken. You're to use a live Sword for the rest of the training. Chose your weapon.") He gestured to the wall holding a selection of Swords, real, blunted and training.

Ron shied away from the Lotus Blade set in the center of the wall, instead pulling a regular Katana from its place to the side.

He'd been sure his _Gakusei_ would accept the unspoken advantage the Blade would have given him. By accepting a normal sword, he had chosen to put the responsibility of success upon himself instead of relying on the enhancement the Lotus Blade could bestow.

By restricting himself to non-mystical weapons and training under their handicap, when _Eraba_ (The Chosen) did take the Blade into battle, he would be '_Ken no masutā'_ (Master of the Sword) instead of merely '_Kenshi'_ (Swordsman). Fukushima, against his will, was impressed.

Over the next twenty minutes, to prove the point of how effective the _Saya_ could be, Fukushima had Ron use a live _Katana_ while he took the _Saya_ and an enhanced _Bokken_. The enhancement was it was made from steel instead of the normal wood; because no normal wood _Bokken_ could survive against a razor sharp live steel _Katana_. No matter what some of those _Baka_ Manga and Anime might try to say differently.

When Ron attacked, Fukushima taunted and played with his _Gakusei. _Any attack to his left side was deflected, parried, or blocked by the _Saya_. A few times he even trapped Ron's blade and either disarmed him or forced him out of position, opening him up to a counterstrike.

That's not to say it was easy. Fukushima had to work for each opening. This was a very good thing because Ishido Sensei had called and told the penitent that he was sending someone to test _Eraba_ in a couple of months. Dankanmakuraudo-san should be impressed.

* * *

**Middleton, CO, USA **

**11 December 2007**

**21:45 Local**

**06:45 Zulu (12 December 2007)**

**05:45 Senior's Island (12 December 2007)**

Wade was just getting ready to settle in for the night, setting his alerts wake him if something came in when he got a surprising video call request.

"Senior? Is there something I can do for you?"

"Yes, there most certainly is, Mr. Load. Would you have about five or six terabytes of free space on your drives? You see I have quite a bit of information that I would rather not have fall into the wrong hands."

The young genius looked confused. "Uh, yeah, I have the space. But why do you need it, Sir? You have some of the best security on the net."

"Because Mr. Load, all the 'net security' in the world does you no good when the hacker has physical access to the hard drives. You see, we're having a bit of a bother here."


	44. For Whom the Bell Tolls

Surprisingly, this chapter was mostly written before Chapter 42 Mony Mony. I just needed the proper lead in for it. Sentinel and CajunBear have been invaluable in bringing this to you. Thanks Guys

The song is in the usual place on the Tube **/watch?v=bg92QpjRcJk**

**09:54 Local (12 December 2007)  
****08:54 Zulu (12 December 2007)**

Through the air above the island fell a blazing meteor. As it descended the fire diminished, leaving behind a dark colored dot. The dot resolved into the Sloth and started tracing a path around the rising smoke.

Four smaller dots separated from the Sloth and fell to the ground. Shortly after separating, the smaller dots sprouted short stubby wing and there was the flare of jets out the back. They fell even faster as they accelerated to the ground, flaring for a landing just before impact.

After landing, one pair brought up M4 carbines covering the other pair as they discarded their jet packs. Once the packs were off, the second pair took over covering operations and the first pair followed suit removing their packs. At no time was there NOT a weapon trained outward.

A quiet, young masculine voice was heard, "I have point, Stoppable you've got our 'six', Possible, Chidori, right and left, 3 and 9." He glanced up, "Load, you're our eyes, stand by, but keep alert, we'll secure the LZ. Everyone remember, keep the coms open. Let's move out, movement to contact."

The four shifted into a squashed diamond formation and started advancing, the point covering the front, the left and right facing out to the sides and the last shuffling backwards in the rear. All had their weapons up and ready. Where their eyes went, so too did the muzzle of their weapon. Flicking back and forth, tracing to roofline, pausing for an instant at windows, never really stopping as they scanned for threats.

On the flight over, though it galled her, Kim admitted that this wasn't going to be a standard 'Team Possible Infiltration and Stop the Bad Guy du jour' mission. She knew they were dropping into a Combat Zone this time and while she had no doubts about leading Team Possible on one of the regular sneaking mission, a free fire zone was something else. If they had no other options, she would have done so, but having Sagara along changed the equation. He had years more experience in the sitch than she did. It stuck in her craw but she ceded overall command to him.

Another thing she wasn't comfortable with was how Sagara had assigned everyone. She knew why he had taken the point position and why he'd given Ron the 'Six' slot. Those two positions were the most likely to have to engage an enemy target. And the two of them were the most likely to shoot without hesitation.

Before they'd left, one of the first things they had done was alert Global Justice to the situation. That led to another reason she wasn't happy with the situation. Dealing with GJ had delayed their departure by nearly two hours.

Dr. Director promised to scramble any assets in the area, but with the layers of bureaucracy it would take time for them to arrive. Their ETA was four to six _hours_ behind Team Possible.

Over the coms they heard Wade's voice, "Guys could ya hurry up and get me down from here? I feel like a floating target."

The Team wanted to get the Sloth on the ground as soon as possible, so they first headed for an area large enough to land it. Wade had scanned the island from the time Senior had cut the connection to when they started reentry, only stopping when the ionization had cut even his links. He followed the battle as best he could from the over heads and tracked the attackers north as they left, but lost them when they passed out of range of the satellite he was using and disappeared.

But that didn't mean that the enemy hadn't left anyone behind to ambush any follow-on relief forces. It wasn't likely, but the Team wasn't taking any chances.

Coming to a what-appeared-to-be-a village square, the point held up a fist to the rest of the Team, telling them to stop.

The red-head in the three o'clock position felt the occasional brush to her right as the blonde male shuffled backward, watching behind them. They had trained with Sagara enough that this was almost second nature by now. When Sagara held up his left fist, calling for a halt, Kim lightly thumped Ron in the back with her right elbow, silently passing him the order.

He silently flashed two fingers at them twice, then using a flat hand, he pointed to two separate spots within the square. Then he used two fingers to point to his eyes and the flat hand arced around the square. Those silent gestures told everyone the plan. Split up 2X2 and in a bounding overwatch, approach the two spots he'd picked. At the same time, keep an eye out for possible snipers.

The first pair split up and ran to two separate points about a third of the way to the spots Sagara had pointed out. They ran hunched over with their weapons at the ready until they reached their chosen points. They settled into a kneeling position with eyes and weapons scanning.

Once both signaled their teammates the other pair bounded past them to a spot that was two-thirds of the way, repeating the actions of their counterparts. When each pair arrived at the chosen positions they were able to cover nearly the entire square. Silently they watched for a few moments. One by one they passed a silent 'Clear' signal to the Leader.

"Load. Sagara."

"Go ahead."

"Report."

"Since you bailed, I've been orbiting the island keeping an eye out for antiaircraft or hostile inbounds. So far nothing."

"You still have us on sensors?

"Yeah, I got a solid lock on all of your chips. Sensors show that you're covering what looks like a small park in the center of the village."

"Any hostile traces?"

"Depends. I've been releasing some sensor platforms, no movement or radio chatter. I got several heat traces, but they're awful hot. They look to be fires of some sort. Other than the heat traces though, nothing!"

"Very well, bring her in, hard and fast. Assume a hot LZ."

"On the way. Thanks, I was really nervous up here."

The Sloth was barely a dot it was so high. They'd decided to keep it out of the line of fire as much and possible for a variety of reasons. Among the list was the vehicle was carrying their heavier weapons and much more advanced sensors. Also, if they needed to retreat, it was also their only way out until GJ arrived hours behind them.

From high in the sky, it dropped like a stone until just before impact, the engines screamed, slowing it to a solid landing, bottoming out the suspension. The engines were another reason they'd left it flying cover overhead. The Sloth was many things; silent was not one of them. The jet-packs were whisper quiet by comparison.

Once the Sloth was on the ground, the Team split off one member of each pair to help unload it. Kim and Kaname stayed on covering duties while Sagara and Ron approached the Sloth.

While Sagara help Wade get his gear ready, Ron went to the trunk and replaced his M4 with an M249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon). The reason Ron landed with an M4 was the machine-gun might have overloaded the flight-pack.

They'd considered bringing a much heavier M240Bravo, but decided to use the SAW instead. This was because while the 240 fired 7.62mm rounds, both the SAW and the rest of the Team's M4's used the same 5.56mm ammunition.

Ron loaded the SAW by slipping one of the plastic drums into its spot under the weapon, then opening the feed tray cover he laid the end of the linked belt in the tray and closed the cover. He settled the carrying strap for the 249 around his neck and pulled the charging handle to the rear. Once the bolt locked to the rear, he pushed the handle forward and flipped the safety. If what he thought happened had happened, God Himself would be the only one that would help the enemy.

Once Wade had his gear ready, he hefted a huge rucksack filled with only he knew what. Once he was ready, Sagara signaled the girls to assemble by Kaname's spot. Ron maintained his position as Sagara and Wade bolted towards Kaname, and Kim came towards him. Before Wade and Sagara could reach Kaname, Kim had caught up to them. When they were settled, they covered Ron as he joined them.

While the rest covered him, Wade shucked his ruck and set it on the ground. Like all the rest except for Ron, he had his M4 in an assault sling and his sidearm in an underarm holster. Unlike the rest, he didn't have his weapon in his hands. Instead he had his larger highly modified Kimmunicator out tapping away.

The first thing that happened was to the Sloth. A series of plates raised both up and down. Up the windows and down the wheel wells. Now nothing short of a tank or anti-tank rounds could hurt it.

Next he reached into a pocket on top of the ruck and pulled a hand sized cardboard box. He pulled and discarded the lid, holding the box away from himself, and then tapped a command on the Kimmunicator. A swarm of objects the size of very large bugs erupted from the box. They flew up and away in all directions. Some entered shattered windows, some flew to the tops of the surrounding buildings and the rest flew up the streets further out.

After a few minutes, Wade started looking a bit pasty, "Guys. I've got a few bodies. No one we know. But from the looks of things they were some of Senior's people. Other than that, nothing. The spybugs don't show anything living other than a couple of dogs and maybe a housecat. We're clear."

Sousuke looked at the display, pointed and asked, "The villa is here, correct?"

"Yeah."

"Can your spy bugs keep up with us if we're moving fast?"

"Not if we're doing a dead run, but they can hold a fast walk for a lot longer than we could hold a run."

Sousuke studied the display a moment, memorizing the route. "Alright, Load, have the bugs keep up a perimeter. When we move out, we're in the center. Concentrate on point and the flank. Everyone else, same formation. Cover Load, he's our eyes and ears. Load, if you even _suspect_ something's wrong, call out. Any questions?" Receiving none, he said, "Alright, let's move out."

As they went, occasionally they came across a body of one of the defenders. Bullet-riddled walls attested to the battle that occurred here. Just in front of the entrance through the wall of the villa, they found a defense point that had gone up in flames, containing two defenders. You couldn't tell if they were male or female.

After seeing, and even worse smelling it, Wade, Ron and the girls all lost their dinners. Ron made the comment, "I think the next time someone tries to say that a burning person smells like burning pork, I'm gonna punch 'em **dead** in tha' mouth!"

"I never understood that comparison myself."

The rest looked at the Soldier looking at the formerly artfully concealed pill box with the same thought going through their heads. "_He's seen this before._"

They were getting ready to move out, when Sagara noted that Kim couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from the smoking remains. In a low, but firm voice, he said "**Corporal.**" When he had her attention, he continued, "The best way to prevent either us or you from ending like that is **eyes out**."

When she shakily nodded her understanding, he asked, "Load, how's the perimeter?"

"Same as before, still nothing."

They huddled by the gates while Sagara looked up to the looming walls of the villa, and specifically the main entrance, he noted the places where grenades had gone off, the gouges knocked into the granite and marble of the villa itself, the bullet holes in the surrounding wall, experience telling him a story. The story of the last minutes of the battle here.

He pointed, "Two to four defenders at the main entrance, covering the retreat of allies through these gates. Just before they fell back to gain space and time, they used a volley of grenades to cover their retreat and fell back into the structure itself. After that I'm not sure."

"Load, once we're inside, have half of your bugs maintain a perimeter on the building itself. The other half around us inside. Set it up. When you're ready, we move out."

It didn't take the young genius long to comply. A few minutes later they entered the same room Ron had battled Senior's defenses a few months ago. All the statuary had been dragged to one of the large hallways leading deeper into the villa. Behind it nearly blocking the hallway was a refrigerator, of all things.

Sousuke said, "Possible, Stoppable, Load, you three knew the Senor better. What would he defend?" Wade tapped his Kimmunicator a moment then the three looked at each other a second.

Kim and Ron echoed, "The Control Room." Kim elaborated, "It's one of the best build, most defensible spots in the house."

"Possible, you have point. Move out."

A few minutes later found them entering the main control room. Getting past the barricade of statues and the huge refrigerator had been interesting. On the defenders side of the barricade was a sizable pile of empty 7.62mm casings and links. Halfway through the opening between it and the wall they found an old discarded M60 machine-gun, the barrel slightly warped.

Sousuke pointed the weapon and the pile and noted, "Someone was either very serious or very desperate, probably desperate. They were firing so fast they never had time to change out the barrels. That's how it got warped."

Further down the hall the found the Control Room. To one side was the shattered remains of the glass doors leading to the east side patio. The center of the room was an overturned desk with significant damage to the desktop set up as an improvised defense point. Through the remains of the patio door, they saw something covered in what looked like the Spanish Flag with the edges of the Flag tucked underneath.

Suspecting what it was, Ron screamed, "SENIOR!" Sagara and, suspecting why he did a second later, Kim both grabbed Ron to prevent him from rushing out to the form on the deck.

Kim hollered at her lover, "RON, it could be booby trapped! Let Wade run a scan first! Wade?"

"On it!" He carefully approached running his Kimmunicators scanning beam across the flag covered forms. "No explosives, electrical devices, nothing that looks like a trap."

Kim held onto Ron as Sagara carefully pulled the head of the flag back to reveal two people, one of them Senor Senior, Senior. Both dead.

Sousuke looks at the flag covered forms, saying, "This is strange. Someone took the time to honorably lay them out. Why?"

Possible snaps "There's two men DEAD here and maybe a couple dozen more outside, and that's the only thing you can say?"

"Corporal, I can weep and rage at the heavens about this. Or I can gather information, find who did it, visit a terrible retribution upon them. I choose to do something constructive. I will mourn later.

"Information about things like the fact that both of these men were deliberately laid here with their weapons. Or what about this?" He pointed to something hooked through Senior's collar. "This is a medics morphine syrette. Who injected him? It had to be someone with experience as a Combat Medic. Hooking the syrette to the collar is standard procedure to keep from overdosing the wounded patient. Was the Senor wounded early in the fighting or just before the end?"

"And who laid these two men out and why? From the evidence of the battle there was no one left. What happened and who did it? The only way to find out is to keep our heads and gather information. Let's start to look around and see what we can discover." Remembering what happened with Will Du, he said, "No one gets left alone, we stick together."

Kim gathered herself self-control by sheer willpower and nodded, "So what's next?"

Sousuke looked to the rest of the Team and said, "Suggestions?"

Kaname said, "I saw what looked like an office just off the Control Room. Check there first?"

Sousuke asked, "Objections?" Receiving none, he said, "Let's move out."

* * *

Reentering the Control Room, they found shattered, broken and burned out workstations and terminals. By the looks of the burned out ones, some were obviously destroyed after the fighting had ended, probably using thermite grenades.

They carefully entered the office just off the Control Room. Apparently from the stripped flagpole and abandoned chair, this was where both the Spanish Flag covering Senior and shattered desk in the main room had come from.

Ron made the comment, "Man, this place is wrecked."

Kim, who was looking at the shattered computer and noting the bullet holes through the middle of the tower, asked, "Wade, do ya think ya can do anything with this?"

The teen was about to respond when suddenly a mechanized voice was heard, "Voice patterns identified, Ronald Stoppable, Kimberley Possible. Mr. Stoppable, what was your comment about the doors of Senior's home the first time you arrived here? Ms. Possible, what was the sum of your suggestions to Senor Senior, Senior the first time you arrived here?"

They looked at each other confused until Ron said, "Uhhh, that they went 'Whoosh'."

"Password 'Whoosh', confirmed. Awaiting second password."

Kim was shocked, "A password?" Racking her brain she suddenly exclaimed, "Eco-friendly!"

"Password 'Eco-friendly', confirmed. Team Possible's presence confirmed. Initiating final program." A part of the seeming polished solid granite wall started to turn, spinning on a turntable, revealing a computer server workstation, complete with keyboard, mouse and what was at least a 45in HiDef monitor. A tone was heard, "Final program, ready to initiate."

The screen winked on revealing Senior's smiling face. "Greetings, Kimberly, Ronald. Unfortunately I don't have enough information to be sure that your friends would have accompanied you, so would the two of you pass my respects to Dr. Load. Also my most heartfelt congratulations to Chidori Kaname-chan and Sagara Sousuke-san on their impending nuptials."

He looked very smug, "Before we get down to brass tacks, there **are** a few things. As you undoubtedly know, I was an obscenely rich man. I was also a very well _informed_ obscenely rich man. I was a generous man, as well an Honorable man who acknowledges a debt. And to prove all of these facts."

"For _Specialist_ Dr. Wade Load, a Foundation to allow him to continue doing what he's become so good at. Building the tools the two of you use so well. He will receive an expense account of one million American Dollars annually. He will need to keep accurate records because, except for a small portion, ten percent annually, to be used as his remuneration, the monies will not really be his and any unused funds will roll back into the principal and his account will be credited back to the starting amount. But as long as he is a member of your Team and annually submits an expense report, he shall have all the funds needed to keep him in the 'Researching Gadgets for Heroes' business. Not that he really needs the money."

"Next, as a very heartfelt thank you for their efforts in repairing the rift that occurred between the two of you after your Graduation, please tell _Specialist_ Chidori Kaname-chan and _Staff Sergeant_ Sagara Sousuke-san, that it would be my Honor to gift them with fifty thousand American Dollars to be placed in a fund to be used for their nuptials." His smile grew smug again, "It is my hope that they use the majority of the monies for their Honeymoon."

"And last, but most certainly not least, to thank the two of you for making the last few years of my life so enjoyable by being my Teen-foes, I wish to ensure that, no matter what you do for the rest of your lives, that, if you wish, you will be able to continue doing that at which you are so good. When the word of my passing is confirmed, my attorneys in the States have orders to set up a Foundation allowing you to continue being the Heroes you have been without the need to make a choice between that or earning a living. In effect, _Sergeant_ Kimberly Anne Possible, _Specialist_ Ronald Dean Stoppable, I'm hiring the both of you."

His infamous evil snicker made a reappearance. "Consider it my last villainous act, because the two of you are going to receive a check anyway, whether you want it or not. What you do with the money is your business, but you should be aware that a '1099' **will** be reported to the IRS. Mhmhmhmhmhh!"

The whole Team was stunned. Only Sagara was dry-eyed but they could tell it was a near thing. The girls were the worst, Kim was crying as she watched the recording. She was being held by Ron who had tears in his eyes as well. Kaname was sobbing into Sousuke's chest his arms around her. The fact she had never gotten meet this strange man who had given her such a gift was almost more than she could take. Wade was standing there jaw trembling as his tears traced tracks down his face.

But Senior didn't give them any time, "Now, on to business. This server is set up with a series of removable hard drives containing in depth, comprehensive information on all of Senior Industries focusing mostly on the information gathering and industrial espionage aspects. By the way, of course I attempt the find out things about my competitors from the business world. They do the same to me."

"But for now, that is beside the point. Now, in addition to the large number of people your Team has all across the world that pass you information about possible villainous activities, you have coded access to my own well established network, above and beyond the access I granted Mr. Stoppable a few months ago. Every one of my agents around the world have been ordered to send any information about anything they think might be 'Villainous' directly to Dr. Load for evaluation, correlation and confirmation."

"I am no Oracle, but in light of the fact that at the moment I have no villainous activities planned, I can assume that the reason you're seeing this recording is that something terrible has happened here, necessitating your arrival. To assist you in discovering what happened, the sensors, video and audio recordings for the last forty-eight hours in the public areas of the villa and its surrounding environs are stored within this server as well."

"It is assumed that you would either bring or have access to Dr. Load. Please have him stand-by to accept a data transfer that will tell him how to safely remove these hard drives. Be sure to tell him, that you only get one chance. If the slightest mistake is made, this server will self-destruct. He should be very careful!"

"_Vaya con dios_, my friends. And Good Luck."

Snapping himself out of his daze, Wade sat in the chair before the terminal and got to work. A short time later he found that Senior had placed some serious protections on the terminal. He was being asked to provide information that he knew was secure in an effort to prevent the information it contained from falling into the wrong hands.

It took a while, but eventually the genius was able to get into the system allowing the Team to discover what had happened in the last few hours.

* * *

**06:30 Local (12 December 2007)  
****Two Hours before BMNT (Begin Morning Nautical Twilight)  
****05:30 Zulu (12 December 2007)  
****21:30 Mountain (11 December 2007)**

**Balearic Sea**

Coming in low under the radar horizon screamed a squadron of assault craft carrying four platoons of heavily armed Troops. Just before they showed on the screens of the target island, the four craft broke formation. One stopped far enough out to stay under the radar, while the other three continued towards the objective. The two wingmen banked heavily to the left and right to keep any flak and antiaircraft missiles that might be targeting them from locking onto the larger target signature. They landed on the beaches at three widely separated points; fifty plus men bailed quickly out of each craft and set up their perimeters. As soon as the last man in each craft had boots on the ground, the assault craft immediately lifted off and hustled out of the area. The aircraft were the only exit strategy the men had and had to be protected.

For the men on the ground, their orders were simple. Kill everyone on the island. Particularly the multi-billionaire who owned it. They knew that by now, he was well aware he was under assault, but the time honored, battle-tested tactics of _Blitzkrieg_ should keep him from activating any defensive measures he might have had in place. Hit fast, hard and above all else, keep up the pressure. The only difference between their strategy and the classic _Blitzkrieg_ would be the lack of air-support, but the proximity of Spanish, French and Italian Naval and Air Forces dictated against it. If they discovered what was happening, the consequences would definitely be sub-optimal for the mission parameters.

* * *

As he had gotten older, he had discovered that he needed less sleep than in his youth. Especially if he napped during the day. At 06:35 in the morning, the alarms sounded alerting him that there was something wrong. Stepping to the computer console, he opened a link to the Security Center and just said, "Report."

"Senor, a few minutes ago, we tracked three, possibly four aircraft approaching, intentions unknown. The three we are sure about landed on the beaches as separate points. We were in the process of activating the sensor perimeter when you called."

"Send me any feeds you have from the visual and audio sensors and continue monitoring."

When the tech on duty passed the feed to him, Senior brought up screen after screen for the cameras littering his ancestral home. He never used the sensors when he was performing a villainous activity because he felt it would give him a dishonorably unfair advantage. But something else was happening, something he had been expecting since he had lost contact with some of his German agents.

Seeing the figures in night-vision monochrome green, he watched as the person in Command ordered them to spread out then send out flankers to the side and skirmishers forward. When some of the skirmishers encountered one of his men patrolling the island, like a ghost, a silenced weapon came up and his man fell, he knew he was dealing with professionals.

The old man instantly opened a connection on his speakerphone and hit a four digit number. The answer took bare seconds. "Yes, Senor."

"Rodrigo…Bring my son and his paramour to Central Control, now! No protestations or arguments. Frogmarch the both of them if you have to. No excuses, I will be there in a moment."

While he was talking, he bypassed the suit the valet had laid out the night before. With an energy and vitality of a man half his age, he opened the closet, shuffled aside the three thousand dollar suits and 800 dollar shoes.

"It is as we feared, sound the alarms, but have your men fall back. Sniping only, make them keep their heads down, try and avoid getting entangled until they reach the inner defense lines. The only exception is rear-guard to the families."

He discarded the nightclothes he was wearing revealing a spare frame, covered with ropy muscle. He quickly pulled on a pair of dark loose fitting, baggy pants and a thick, snug, black long-sleeved shirt. Two pair of socks, first a thin nylon, then a thick wool set and his feet slid into a pair of beat up black combat boots. After lacing up the boots, he exited the room at a run.

Down three flights of stairs, because it would be faster then the elevator, and into a room filled with screens and computer monitors, he stepped up to a bowl-like table that displayed a projection of the island. Red arrows showed the route of the attacking forces. There were dashed blue ones showing where the island's defenders were forming up to meet the enemy, the red arrows slowly advancing into contact with the blue ones.

His security teams could handle a mob, a large group of Henchmen or even a couple of squads of SpecOps, but what looked like more than one hundred and fifty trained Troops was a different proposition. His retainers were loyal, they had served his family generation after generation, and most had served in the Spanish Army at some point, but they weren't trained or equipped to repel an assault of this nature.

While the politically sensitive nature of the location of his ancestral home meant that while he could get away with villainous extortion and intimidation schemes, openly having a couple of fully armed, combat ready companies of men on standby all of the time wasn't going to happen.

None of the nation-states whose territorial waters abutted the island would allow it, no matter how much money he pumped into the European economy. Training and arming that many people would have gotten him a visit from someone like the _Légion étrangère,_ more commonly known as the French Foreign Legion.

That wasn't to say that ways hadn't been found around those limitations. They just couldn't be brazenly displayed. Nearly every man and a significant percentage of the women on the island had served in the Military Forces of either Spain or some other nation. Secreted at various points around the island, caches of the tools of Warfare. Over the years, these had been updated and modernized as needed to stay current with the times.

On top of these caches of heaver arms, like the tiny country of Switzerland, each homeowner had a small arms locker containing the residents' assigned weapons. Any force attacking the small island was likely to get a serious bloody nose. It was only the lack of the signal from the island's owner and leader of the inhabitants to go active that had prevented the residents from taking part in repelling a certain Teen Hero and her Sidekick. To the man who owed the island, 'Such a thing just isn't done. It would be dishonorable.'

Senior knew the best thing he could do was stay out of the way of his Head of Security and let the man do his job. He watched as hidden positions were bypassed and the men in them popped up to take the enemy on the flanks, forcing them to stop and engage the defenders position. Once the position was engaged, the defenders would slip out the back and slither to another further along the line of advance, trading space for time. But the attack had hit too hard and too fast. He had expected an attack, but nothing like what they were facing.

Senior kept observing the plot and made a decision. He said, "Rodrigo, call the Chapel. Have them sound the bells. All of them."

"All of them, Senor? Sir, we haven't sounded all to the bells in…two hundred and fifty years."

Into the milieu of tension in the room a trio of men entered, two practically carrying his son while the third had Bonnie in a double thumb-lock, arms behind her, both of the couple were squawking and sputtering.

Senior looked the group, turned and headed into his office simply saying. "Bring them." As he went, he called back over his shoulder at the open-mouthed Security Chief, "Do it. We have no time. Full evacuation."

When they entered the office, he immediately pulled out a set of keys from his pocket and unlocked a panel in the floor. Opening the panel revealed a very heavy duty floor safe.

Behind him the young couple continued complaining at the treatment they were receiving, "Father! Father! These…these… these _ruffians_ accosted me and my Bonita while we slumbered and laid their hands on us. Fire them!"

"Let go of me you thugs! Just who do you think you are!"

The old man kept working at the combination of the safe as he raised his voice above the din being created by the couple. "Both of you calm yourselves. Had the two you listened to me weeks ago when I informed you to never argue with the security personnel, they would not have had to resort to such barbaric measures."

"But Father, we haven't had our ten hours of sleep yet. How can I be a teen pop sensation unless I get the rest required?"

"Junior! Be quiet and listen."

"But Father!"

"JUNIOR! You will shut up and listen!" The volume momentarily stuns the self absorbed couple. Enough for Bonnie to look around and start realize that something is seriously wrong.

After he had the combination entered, he tapped a button on the safe and the lid opened with the hiss of hydraulic assistance. He reached in and removed a small wooden box and flash drive. The box appeared to be old, very old. It was made from rich maple, lovingly stained. The top was white enamel with a broad red cross. Senior stands goes to the wall and opens a hidden key-pad, after tapping a series of digits, a concealed door opens. "Junior, you and Miss Rockwaller are leaving the island, now. You will go down this passage and…"

He's interrupted by his son. "But Father, I can't possibly leave yet. We haven't packed. How long are we going to be gone? I need to know how much Le Goop to take."

While Junior was rambling, Senior strides closer to the young man and for the first time in his life his Father strikes him. Senior backhands his son so hard he knocks the larger, younger man to the ground.

"For once in your life, quit sniveling, shut up and do as you're told. We have no time to argue. Leave everything. Take the back passages and go to the sub pen. The instant you're aboard, seal the hatch and instruct the computer 'Emergency Protocol Dunkirk'. Follow all its instructions precisely. Junior, if you fail to follow those instructions, there's a very good chance you and Miss Rockwaller could end up DEAD! Do you understand me?"

Looking up at the towering fury his kindly, urbane forebear had become, Junior could only stammer "No Father, but I will do exactly as you say."

Relieved the old man said, "Thank you, my Son."

He helped pull Junior to his feet and offers the small box, "You are to take this with you. This contains your heritage. Junior, I can not stress to you just how important this is. The secrets within are worth my life, they were worth your Mother's. Guard it with your life, Junior, because they're worth yours." Senior pulls his Son close and whispers, "The flash drive has all the information. It has a password. Use your brain Junior and think. _Look_ to your Mother's _eyes_. No one can help you with this."

He saw the Security Chief entering with a tall man a little older than Junior. "Rodrigo?"

Rodrigo de la Luna spoke to Junior and Bonnie "Follow this man, listen to him, he will guide you and guard you with his life." The Chief turned to the young man and whispered, "Do your duty, understood?" When the young man nodded the Chief hugged him fiercely, muttering, "Vaya con dios, my Son."

Senior turned to Bonnie. "Miss Rockwaller, I want to thank you. The time you have spent here has brightened this island beyond anything except my dear departed Wife. Junior, always remember, no matter what happens I love you very much."

The young couple both start to question him, "Father?" "Poppi?"

"There's no time left. Go. GO!"

When the trio entered the passage, Senior sealed the door, pulled the keypad from the wall and crushed it underfoot. Without that specific keypad and the proper code, the only way to open the passage now was by cutting through the reinforced steel door.

Senior and Rodrigo reentered Central Control and stepped up to the plot. He asked for an update. "Sir, we've contacted the Chapel. With any luck the first of the non-combatants will be loaded within twenty to thirty minutes. Estimate sixty to ninety minutes for complete evacuation."

"Very good, carry on. I need to place a call. I shall return momentarily." He stepped back into his office, booted his computer and input a web address hoping the young man was awake.

* * *

**Middleton, CO, USA **

**21:49 Local (11 December 2007)  
****06:49 Zulu (12 December 2007)  
****05:49 Senior's Island (12 December 2007)**

They were sitting and watching a movie before calling it a night when the light on the camera blinked on and the screen changed to the frantic face of their tech-guru, "Guys you need to see this. Senior just called and said he's under attack. Go ahead, Senior."

"Ahh, Team Possible, my young foes. It's good to see you again, even under these trying circumstances."

Kim asked, "Senior, how bad it? How many Henchmen are we talking about?"

"Oh, no 'Henchmen' this time, my dear. My Security Chief thinks we have about three full platoons of attackers. They seem to be quite professional and very well armed."

Ron asked, "Well who the Hell are they then?"

"We don't _know_. However last week, one of my agents in Germany was able to pass me a message. He'd been burned, his cover blown. He was going to try and escape, but he was not sanguine about his chances. I suspect they are the same enemy that you face, Mr. Stoppable."

Kim says, "All right, Senior, hold on, we can be there in about two hours, two and a half max!"

He smiled, "My apologies, but this will be finished, one way or the other, in much less time then that. Most of my family's retainers will have escaped and be on their way well before then. I just wanted to inform you so you can be on alert for my Son. He will be taking a roundabout route to my airfield near your base of operations. Please, look after him. My business advisors can take care of him financially, but he will need assistance getting through these events."

Sousuke, thinking he has an idea where this is going, jumps in. "Senor Senior, when are you going to get out? There's still time for you to evac."

Senior eyed the young man, "Mr. Sagara, this island had been the home of my family since the 1300's. My family stayed during the Thirty Years War and The Hundred Years War, we stayed here through the French Revolution and when Napoleon marched across Europe. We were not driven from our home as German and Allied ships-of-war plied the waters surrounding it through two World Wars and I will not be _driven_ from it now. One may retreat from or surrender to an Honorable foe."

As he was speaking, his face and voice hardened, "But, with a dishonorable one, there can be no retreat, no surrender and no quarter asked for or given. They deserve nothing but an ignoble end. Within the hour, I will have evacuated everyone I can, but I'm staying," In the background came the sounds of church bells tolling, half a dozen at least.

Ron said, "Senior, you always get the best money can buy. I know you have one. Get to a panic room and hang tight."

"A panic room? A rather dishonorable thing don't you think?" Remembering the time he sat huddled in just such a room, that statement struck Ron like unexpected punch in the gut.

"No, I will face this challenge as I have faced all the others in my life. With my head up, looking it right in the eye. These people think they can come into _my_ abode unopposed? They will find they are sadly mistaken."

Wistfully, he glanced down at his ten thousand dollar watch, "It's nearly dawn here. And I hope to be able to see it again."

Kim was starting to get frantic, "Senior, don't you do this. Don't you give up, you hear me."

The old man smiled, not a smirk or an evil grin, but an actual smile. "Miss Possible, I have never given up on anything in my life. However to paraphrase Ernest, an acquaintance of my younger days," He pointed over his shoulder, "Today, this day, ask not for whom the bell tolls, for it tolls for me. Vaya con dios, my friends." He reached and closed the connection before they could say anything.

He stands and implements a worm that would copy the data on his computers to Wade's at the same time as it overwrites it on his. Then he reaches into a drawer and opens a lockbox, whereupon he pulls out a key with a remote fob. As he exits the office he inserts the key into a small unnoticed panel beside the door and turns the key. The light on the panel flashes from green to red. Leaving the room, he hits the remote and the file cabinets start to incinerate all the hard copy backups.

Back in Middleton, Ron hollers at the screen, "Senior, SENIOR!" He runs to the intercom, "Wade, get him back."

"I can't get a connection through, Ron. There's something going on though. Every bit of bandwidth he has is dumping gigabytes of data onto my servers."

Kim looks at the now blank screen for a second. "Let's go."

* * *

**Senior Island**

The enemy's three platoons continued to move forward under much heavier than expected resistance. So much so they had been forced to call in the reserve fourth platoon. Since most of the residents of the small island had access to both weapons and communications, they were able to force the attackers to engage well in advance of the second line of defenses.

The enemy had split down to squad sized elements to broaden the front and thin the defenders. As a squad 8-10 would peel off to the flank, the defenders would send 2-3 men to positions to get into _defilade_. This would allow the defenders to fire _in enfilade,_ or along the long axis of the enemy formations.

Sometimes it worked, sometimes not. But the point here wasn't to try and stop the enemy. The defenders didn't have a chance of doing that and they knew it. The point was to slow them down enough for the non-combatants to get out of the line of fire. The sounds of the bells from the island's Chapel told all of the non-combatants to hurry to the evacuation points. Once an area was cleared, the defenders would make a fighting withdrawal further towards the inner defense ring, constantly harassing the enemy enough to make him cautious, slowing them down. Something the attacking forces were desperately trying to avoid.

Senior asked, "How long Rodrigo?"

"If we had had everyone in position, never. But that reserve platoon broke our backs. As it stands, the second line will fall shortly. The inner? An hour, maybe. We should be able to get the families out. The hard part will be trying to disengage enough to get the last of the defenders out."

Over an hour and a half later, as the last of his people evacuated, Senior gave the order for the rest of his men to fall back. The very last of them heading toward the Control Center and the two remaining evac pods.

Senior left the plot table he had been watching for the last two hours and started to open a large standing safe. He looked at his Security Chief and said, "Rodrigo. It's time for the rest of you to leave as well."

The middle aged man stood straight, "Senor, in 1311 when the Senior family was forced out of _Castillo de los Templarios, _in_ Ponferrada _( Castle of the Knights Templar, Ponferrada, Spain) they were accompanied by the _de la Luna_. In 1519 when Cortez landed in the New World there was a Senior amongst his men. And beside the Senior, was a _de la Luna. _When your father served in 1914, my Great-Grandfather was beside him."

The big man smirked "Senor, I don't think you ever realized how upset my Pawpaw was with you when you were thirteen and disappeared in '37 to fight the Fascists, leaving him behind. And that picture you sent home in '44, I don't know who was more upset with you. Your Mother, because you were riding a motorcycle across and though the battlefields of Europe dodging Nazi patrols. Or your Father, because you were doing it carrying an American Thompson."

"For over seven hundred years, my family has served yours. To the benefit of the _de la Luna_. Because of your Father, my Grandfather and my Father both attended University. Because of you, I attended, as did my children. In the course of time, I had expected to take a place at the side of your son, but that is not to be. My son will fulfill the duties of the _de la Luna_ to Senor Junior."

"My place is here, at your side." The man raised his eyebrow and smirked again, "If they live, I suspect that your son will be growing up, very fast!"

Senior passed a gimlet-eye at his retainer. "Rodrigo, which one of your sons accompanied them?"

Senior could see the man was bursting with pride. "My eldest, Senor. _Alejandro Jose de la Luna_. He graduated University five years ago and recently completed an enlistment with _Légion étrangère. _After earning several medals for bravery in the Middle East, last year he was assigned as training cadre for the remainder of his enlistment and has since been Honorably Discharged."

"Rodrigo, do you mean to tell me that the young man you sent with my son, my Junior, is a former Drill Sergeant for the French Foreign Legion?"

Rodrigo was wearing a smug grin, "Of course, Senor."

"Oh 'Of Course.' Well since it would do little good now to fire you for such a transgression, we'll just have to let it pass. I guess Junior _will_ be growing up rather fast." He pulled the door of the safe open revealing a collection of equipment and various firearms. He tossed an MP5 along with a bandoleer of magazines to his retainer. Then he reached back in a pulled out another bandoleer, this one containing a selection of grenades and tossed it as well.

Next he pulled out a Thompson sub-machine gun with dual pistol grips. He ran it through a quick functions check. The old sub-machine gun had obviously been lovingly cared for over the last 70 plus years. It cycled smoothly as he pulled the bolt.

The retainer looked at the Thompson in askance, "Are you sure you want to use that relic, Sir."

"A Leader of Soldiers I respected very much once said, 'When you face the enemy, it's best to do so with a weapon you trust.' This weapon served me well for 5 years. She will do so again." As he spoke, he pulled a pair of bandoleers and a sack out of the arms locker. One of the bandoleers was full of 30-box magazines. The other, like the second he'd passed to Rodrigo, contained grenades. Rodrigo had no idea what was in the sack.

Rodrigo stared at the weapon his employer was inserting a magazine into and charging. When he settled the weapon with the stock on his hip, muzzle towards the ceiling, other then the silver in his hair, he suddenly looked 70 years younger. "Sir, is that the same Thompson…"

Senior interrupted, "Yes Rodrigo, it is."

"Sir, I'm not sure I want to know how you got that away from the American Army."

* * *

Throughout the attack, from the time Senior had ordered the evacuation, he had members of his staff barricading every entrance, except for the main double doors, with everything that came to hand. Now, more than ever, he thanked his ancestors for their foresight in the solid construction of the villa.

Much of the exterior of the first floor was granite and marble construction, as were as several of the interior supporting walls. The windows were tall, but narrow and easily blocked off. The exterior doors were solid, made of steel banded oak. Where ever the interior supporting walls had a door, it too was solid oak, similar to the exterior doors, but without the steel banding.

One of the first things Senior had had done was to have the air handling system ripped out in places. No crawling through the HVAC system for this enemy. Then he'd ordered his people to use desks, dressers, and anything else they could think of to create choke points throughout the villa.

One industrious fellow had, with the help of a few others, shoved the commercial refrigerator from the kitchen into the hall leading from the main foyer to the control room. All eight feet high and five feet wide of it. When he saw it, Senior sported a savage grin and doubled the man's pay on the spot.

The only way past it now was in a single file line through a bare 18 inch slot on one side. And anyone trying to pass it with a defender on the far side was in for an evil day. Just in front of it, in the same room a young man had proved his skill, courage and ingenuity a few months before, Senior had them take all the marble statuary and pile it to create another barricade.

**For Whom The Bell Tolls**

**Metallica  
****Start  
****/watch?v=bg92QpjRcJk**

**Intro Bells**

It was nearly dawn and with the last dozen or so of his men falling back in a bounding overwatch, Senior and Rodrigo had taken positions on either side of the main entrance to the villa. They were kneeling behind the marble pillars, firing over the heads of the retreating men into the advancing enemy troops with short bursts of fire aimed at any movement. The floodlights from the villa gave them excellent lines of sight and had the additional benefit of putting the light into the eyes of the enemy.

With 7-800 rounds a minute, Rodrigo's Heckler and Koch MP5 might have had a slightly higher rate of fire, but it was firing 9mm Parabellum ammunition. Senior's Thompson on the other hand was able to throw 600 rounds of .45cal ACP rounds a minute. Just the deeper booming sound of the Thompson had much more "Authority' than the lighter MP5.

Whenever Senior opened up, the enemy scattered. Not that they hesitated when Rodrigo fired. But they were a little quicker off the mark and tended to find cover faster when the 11.5 mm rounds of the Thompson came at them.

As a man passed Senior and Rodrigo, they would pause and add their weight of fire covering their retreating comrades. Once the next man was clear, the first would fall back into the interior of the villa while the next would take his place. Near the end of the retreat, the fire pressure from the villa slackened and the last group had become pinned by a murderous crossfire from the enemy

Seeing this Senior started hammering one side of the crossfire. When the bolt slammed shut after the last round, he ejected the box magazine from the Thompson, reached into the sack and pulled out one of the few 100 round drums he had. When he resumed fire, he proved why, 80 years ago, the Thompson had earned nicknames like Chopper, Chicago Typewriter and Trench Broom. Holding the bucking sub-machine gun on target was like trying to stop a jackhammer, but somehow the old Warrior was able to lean into the weapon and keep it pointed at his enemy.

The fusillade of fire distracted the enemy so bad that even the other side of the crossfire had become confused and stopped firing at the pinned defenders. When the drum clattered empty, Rodrigo placed bursts towards each position forcing them to continue to seek cover long enough for Senior to scream "_Caer hacia atrás, usted imbécils_!" (Fall back, you dumb-asses)"

As the trio of men passed their position, Senior noted that these men might have gotten themselves pinned, but at least one of them had been thinking earlier. They had gotten into one of the caches and acquired themselves one of the surplus M60's Rodrigo's predecessor had purchased years before. The two ammo-bearers were both humping a pair of ammo boxes of the 7.62 mm ammunition for the old crew-served. Rodrigo himself was astounded.

_Make his fight on the hill in the early day  
Constant chill deep inside  
Shouting gun, on they run through the endless gray  
On they fight, for they are right, yes, but who's to say?_

Senior shouted at the fire team, "The next barricade! Set up there and get ready to cover us when we fall back."

Just before they left, Rodrigo added, "When we get there, you're to fall back to the escape craft, leave the 'Pig' and your ammo, but hook all of the belts together. Now Go!"

As they scampered back into the villa, Rodrigo kept hammering away while he hollered to Senior, "I can't believe one of them thought to hit the caches."

Senior hollered back, "I can't believe they thought to grab enough ammunition. If we live, I'm going to give that Team Leader a raise."

_For a hill, men would kill. Why? They do not know  
Stiffened wounds test their pride  
Men of five, still alive through the raging glow  
Gone insane from the pain that they surely know  
_

The two men hunkered down behind the solid marble pillars and kept up enough fire pressure to keep the enemy back, for now anyway. A few minutes later, Rodrigo cast a glance into the villa and caught the eye of the Fire Team. The leader waved letting him know that they ready for the two men.

_For whom the bell tolls  
Time marches on  
For whom the bell tolls_

Rodrigo hollered over the din of Senior's clattering and booming Thompson as well as his own sharper sounding MP5, "You about ready there, Sir?"

"Grenades, you throw, I'll cover! Spread of five, from 10 to 2!"

Rodrigo squatted behind the pillar pulled several of the explosives from the bandoleer and set them at the ready on the ground. When they were set, he resumed firing allowing Senior to change magazines with another 100 round drum. Senior nodded and let go with the Thompson. Rodrigo was throwing so fast that the third was in the air before the first had even hit the ground. The fifth was flying as the first exploded.

Several of the enemy saw the incoming area effect weapons and shouted in German. All sought cover. When they did, the two defenders ducked through the open doors to the villa, across the hundred plus feet of the main foyer and dove behind the barricade.

_Bridge_

Senior ordered the Fire Team to fall back and escape while Rodrigo took over on the 'Pig', blasting away at the entrance. Senior was gasping as he caught his breath while Rodrigo kept up the fire pressure. The barrel started glowing cherry-red from the sustained fire, but he kept firing in the same wildly uncontrolled bursts.

When he saw he only had five or six feet of ammunition left, Rodrigo hollered, "Time for you to go, Sir."

"You first."

_Take a look to the sky just before you die  
It's the last time you will  
Blackened roar, massive roar, fills the crumbling sky  
Shattered goal fills his soul with a ruthless cry  
_

Rodrigo patted the shoulder stock of the M60. "Not without my friend here, Sir. And I don't think you want to be in the front of her when I go through there." He pointed behind them to the narrow slot left by the huge refrigerator.

Senior nodded and stayed hunched over from the unaimed return fire as he ducked into the opening. Once Senior was though, Rodrigo brought the M60 to his shoulder and fired as he backpedaled towards the opening. He'd glanced back to see if he was on track.

_Stranger now are his eyes to this mystery  
He hears the silence so loud  
Crack of dawn, all is gone except the will to be  
Now they see what will be, blinded eyes to see  
_

When he turned back to the enemy, he saw a helmeted head peering around the door jamb, then an arm throwing a baseball sized object, the spoon clearly flying to one side. Tracing the arc of the incoming grenade, he knew it was going to land close by.

"Mierda!" (Shit!), he tried to dive through the opening in the barricaded hallway, but the grenade landed too close. The blast wave drove him awkwardly into the narrow slot, making him land in a heap halfway through.

_For whom the bell tolls  
Time marches on  
For whom the bell tolls_

Seeing him land, Senior grabbed the back of the fallen man's jacket and pulled him the rest of the way through. He dragged Rodrigo with his left and tried to hold his Thompson at the ready the rest of the way down the hall into the Control Room behind the final barricade. The only thing behind him now was the patio standing on a 25 meter bluff facing eastward, overlooking the Mediterranean.

They had intended to stand at the doorway to cover the barricade in the hall, but Senior thought he wouldn't have time to both cover the hall and check Rodrigo. He cursed as his hopes that the other man was merely knocked out were dashed and he saw the lifeless eyes staring up at him.

Settling the Thompson he prepared for the final rush of the enemy. He saw a couple of flashes that flew past the doorway too fast to get a bead on, then arms tossing grenades from either side. He took cover behind the barricade as two, then four, then six grenades exploded in front of the solid oak and maple desk, the explosions rattling it, the whole room and even his teeth as shrapnel thudded into the hardwood desktop.

He stood to try and cover the doorway again when pain stitched its way across his upper chest. He fell behind the desk and lay there, gasping in agony. A man leapt across the overturned desk and landed with his weapon pointed at him.

* * *

Looking over the muzzle of the weapon at the man holding it and knowing he was seconds from death, Senior was surprised to hear someone shout, in German, "_Zurücktreten Feldwebel! Und lassen Sie ihm seine Waffen_!" (Stand Down, Sergeant! And leave him his weapons!)

It was a voice that commanded instant obedience. The Feldwebel stood back, still covering the prostrate man, but no longer ready to instantly pull the trigger.

As he lay there, holding his hands across his badly bleeding upper chest, a man stepped into his line of vision. He carried his armor and weapons with the ease of long experience, his helmet hanging from one of his canteens. He was average height; maybe 5'10" or 5'11", average weight, trim and fit with salt and pepper hair. More salt than pepper.

Everything about him was simply average, except his eyes. They were blue. Not the blue of the sky or the sea. But a clear blue, almost a grey. An ice blue, like the sunlight within a glacier, seemingly cold, remorseless and pitiless. He looked down and said in German, "_Sie befinden sich Senor Senior, Senior, nehme ich an? Ich verstehe Sie sprechen Englisch_." (You are Senor Senior, Senior, I presume? I understand you speak English.)

"Yes, I understand English." Senior noted the Waffen-SS insignia. He calmly asked, "What division?"

The man replied, "_SS Nordland_."

"Ah, at least it wasn't one of the more…zealous ones."

"Nein." The man looked to Rodrigo, "He vas your '_Soldat mit Maschinengewehr_', your M60 machine-gunner?"

"Si. Yes."

"He vas a brave man."

The dying man looked at his friend, "A family retainer. His ancestors accompanied mine when we left _Castillo de los Templarios. _They have stood by my family for generations."

"He vas your Man-at-Arms?"

Senior looked up at the Officer, "Yes, you could call him that. Ahhhhggggg!"

The Officer looked over his shoulder and hollered, "Corpsman!" The medic trotted up and the Officer pointed to Senior and said, "Morphine."

The Corpsman looked at the wounded man, then to the Officer trying to judge the man's intent. Deciding that the Officer wanted Senior as comfortable as possible, he knelt beside Senior, held up a syrette and said, "The fastest, most effective way is intravenously."

"Well young man, it's nuuuuggggg, not like I will have to worry about becoming an addict now, is it?"

The Corpsman flipped open a knife, sliced Senior's upper sleeve and stripped it from his arm. Uncoiling a piece of surgical tubing, he wrapped it around his lower deltoid. Thumping the inner elbow and finding a vein, he automatically cleaned the spot with an alcohol swab and stuck the Morphine syrette directly into the vein.

After undoing the tubing, he slowly injected the Morphine directly into the bloodstream. Pulling the syrette from the vein, he unthinkingly hooked the spent syrette to Senior's collar and placed a band-aid over the tiny puncture. He looked at Senior and said, "You will feel the effects in a few moments."

"Thank you young man." The Corpsman simply nodded and stepped back to help the rest of his own wounded.

When the medic left, the Officer said, "I am not so stupid as to ask if you are going to be all right, but can ve make you more comfortable?"

"Uggggg, no." Senior looked at the Officer with an appraising glance, gauging his demeanor, then said, "However, I would appreciate it if you would move me out to the patio. I would like to see the sunrise one more time."

"Certainly!" The Officer snapped his fingers and pointed, "You four, und be careful, if you hurt him more zhan strictly necessary, I vill shoot you myself." The Medic produced a stretcher and the four junior Troops carefully lifted the old man onto it. They lifted and carried him through the shattered patio doors, settling him so that he could look to the East.

The Officer squatted beside the dying man, watching the sun climb into the sky. Glancing up to the Officer, Senior asked a simple question. "Why?"

"For Germany. You vere gathering und maybe passing information about our efforts to return der Vaterland to a position of strength. I lived through the attacks on my country by zhe communist leftist's vhen zhey bombed civilian target after civilian target, trying to force zhe _Bundesrepublik Deutschland_ (Federal Republic of Germany) to comply to their ideals."

"I've lived through the sapping of our strength by the _gotterdamn_ Greens as zhey pushed for more and more disarmament when it vas only zhe _Bundeswehr_ (Federal Defence Force) that kept zhe Soviets off of our throats. 'Ve jast want a little bit.' Und a few years later, again, 'Ve jast want a little bit.' A little bit und a little bit und a little bit more until eventually zhere's nothing left. It has to stop."

"It has to stop because zhere's a storm coming. Und as much as I might not like it, zhis offers _mien Deutschland_ zhe best chance for survival in zhe coming storm."

He quietly spoke to the old Warrior, "You vere not vhat I expected, Senor. I studied zhe reports on you from zhe last few years. I planned zhis operation expecting to face mechanical death traps, lasers und piranha, zhose insane Tops und stun-guns, und you ready to escape at zhe soonest opportunity."

He looked at the man on the litter, "Novhere in zhe planning did ve expect an armed populous, led by an old man, vith a Thompson of all things, to stand zheir ground und stare us in zhe face. For vhat it is vorth, I am sorry."

Senior turned to look at the man squatting beside him. They had faced off on opposite sides, but Senior recognized a kindred sprit. "Apology accepted. Because you don't seem to be what I expected either. Ironic, isn't it."

They returned to watching the banded carnelian sun rise, in a strangely companionable quiet. A short time later, the Officer heard Senior very quietly, yet with an almost astonished tone, say "Sair!", a sigh, then silence.

* * *

As if from a great distance, he heard a voice. It was familiar, but he hadn't heard it in so long that he couldn't quite place it. It was slightly high pitched, with an American accent. A Virginia twang as a matter of fact.

It said, "Ya might notta won the battle son, but ya sown the seeds today for winning the war. Ya grabbed 'em by the balls, then ya kicked em in the ass. Ya done good Lieutenant." He suddenly knew who it was. He couldn't believe it!

"Sair!"

* * *

The Officer looked at the man on the stretcher, sighed and reached to close the sightless eyes that were still pointed at the sun.

He stood and quietly ordered, "Take him back to zhe office."

After the men set him down in the office, one of the other Officers pulled his knife and prepared to follow the orders he had been given when they'd set out on their mission. The Officer in charge stopped him.

"Vhat do you think you are doing, _Obersturmführer_?" (First Lieutenant)

"Following der Fuehrer's order, _Sturmbannführer_. He told us to leave a message for anyone that finds zhis swvinehunt about zhe folly of opposing zhe Reich." (_Sturmbannführer_ = Major)

The _Sturmbannführer _growled at his subordinate, "To Hell with zhat. Zhis man could have escaped at any time. Instead he stayed und covered zhe retreat of his _Soldaten_, his **men**. He fought us vith Courage und Honor und met his end zhe same vay, und you vill treat him vith dignity und respect for zhat if nothing else."

"But der Fuehrer's orders…"

"I don't give a flying Fuck about der Fuehrer's orders! Ve vill not desecrate zhis man! Ze _SS Nordland_ had no atrocities during zhe War und ve vill not start now. I did not join zhe Nu Reich for zhe aggrandizement of der Fuehrer. I joined it to return Germany to a place of strength in der Vorld."

"Sturmbannführer, der Fuehrer…AHHHHHH!" The subordinate's voice was cut off by the sound of the Officers MP5/10 and the impact of the bullets nearly cutting him in half.

The Officer spat at the bleeding corpse and screamed, **"Fuck der Fuehrer!"** He glared at the other men in the room, screaming at them now, "Zhe _Waffen SS_ told Hitler und Himmler to get fucked more times zhan zhey could count for trying to issue stupid orders, und zhose two had zhe authority to have zhem shot out of hand. I vill not have anyone under my Command acting stupidly or dishonorably. I am not a stupid man, und I know zhat ve can still lose! Und vhen this is over, if ve happen to lose, our actions may mean zhe difference between spending our lives in prison or facing a firing squad! **Is zhat understood?**"

The Officer held the glare at the remaining men for a moment to make sure he was understood, then started issuing orders, starting by pointing to the senior NCO in the room, "Feldwebel, you are now zhe second-in-command und Obersturmführer, your orders are as follows."

He pointed to Senior, "He is to be laid out, on zhe patio facing east, vith his weapons beside him." Then he pointed to Rodrigo de la Luna, "You vill lay his Man-at-Arms to his right, same treatment." He walked to the flagpole standing behind Senior's desk and cut the Spanish Flag from the pole, "When zhey are laid out, you vill cover them, use zhis." Then he looked at Senior, lowered his voice and whispered, "It is zhe best ve can do!"

The newly promoted First Lieutenant asked, "_Sturmbannführer_?"

He kept looking at Senior laying on the floor, "I said it is zhe best ve can do, _Obersturmführer_. If it vas up to me und ve had ze time, zhen I vould lay him to rest with the Honors zhat he deserves."

He kicked the corpse of his former second-in-command, "Bag zhis fool, we'll dump him vonce we are over open water, collect our dead und vounded und prepare to move out. Sanitize everything zhat is going to be left behind. Destroy everything else, thermite and white phosphorus. Try to avoid desecrating any of zhe fallen, but do vhat you have to do. Schnell! SCHNELLLLLL!"


	45. Stressed Out

**Sounding and Proofing Duties by the Team of Sentinel and CajunBear.**

**Dude's you rock.**

**Chapter 45 Stressed Out**

They watched the final hours of Senor Senior, Senior and Rodrigo, his retainer, his Man at Arms, his friend.

They watched Senior as he confronted his Son. "Whoa, I didn't think Senior had it in him!" Ron was surprised

They watched Senior presented the small box to Junior. "Why does that box look familiar?" from a very puzzled Kaname.

They watched as they directed the Troops on the perimeter. "Considering their tactical limitations, their use of the Troops under their command is superb." Sagara was admiring.

Ron knew enough Spanish to translate the fact that Rodrigo refused to abandon Senior, "That guy's got some guts!" Wade was awed.

And as Rodrigo revealed the identity of Junior and Bonnie's escort, Ron said, "The guy that went with Junior and Bonnie, that's his son. The guy was some kinda Drill Instructor for somebody."

Sousuke caught a familiar phrase and went wide-eyed, asking, The _Légion étrangère_?

"Uhh, Yeah, who are they?"

"That's the French Foreign Legion."

"Whoa!"

"He's even more devious than Senior." Kim was relieved the man never helped the billionaire with his villainous plots.

They watched as the two men kneeled side by side, defending their home on the steps of the villa. As they covered the retreat of the pinned Fire-team and when they fell back to the foyer. The presence of the two bodies lying on the patio gave the lie that they might escape. Everyone knew what the final outcome would be. The question was how.

When Rodrigo nearly melted the barrel of the M60, Sousuke quietly said, "I knew someone was desperate." Kim didn't berate him like she had when he made his observation about Senior, a few hours before. She could hear both admiration and despondency in his voice. And when Rodrigo covered Senior's retreat then tried to fall back himself, somehow Sagara knew. When Rodrigo started moving, he just said, "Oh no."

While seeing the man flying into his death brought rest of them to tears, Sagara said, "He was a Brave and Honorable man." When Ron saw Senior dragging his friend, he forgot that is was a recording and shouted, "HE'S GONE. LET 'EM GO, SENIOR! GET OUT!" With Senior being hit Kim heard one of the few profanities she had ever heard from her lover, a heart wrenching "Aww Fuck!"

So far everything, while terrible to watch, was no real surprise. Those started as the _Feldwebel _leapt across the desk to deal the expected coup-de-grace. Hearing German had Sousuke suddenly wracking his brain for the bits of German he'd picked up from Kurz Weber.

"Pause it. I think he said to 'Stand Down' and something about weapons. Load, do you have a translator program?"

"Not one that'll work on the fly. I'll have to load the speech and get a readout later."

"Restart it. Alright, something about the Senor, and does he speak English."

"Dude, Why are they talking in English?"

"English is a common tongue around the world. If you have a Japanese and a German there's a good chance they both might speak English. Believe me, I know."

They watched and listened, continually interrupting until Kaname said, "Wait a minute. Pause it." She hurried out to the main room and rooted through the overturned, battered desk. She returned with several notepads and pens. "Everyone, write your questions down, we'll discuss them later."

"Spankin idea, Kaname."

They watched the rest of the recording in a silence broken only by the scribbling of their pens. Kim was struck by how much it reminded her of classes.

Close to the end Sousuke perked up and started trying to interpret on the fly. "_Obersturmführer_, that's a First Lieutenant, _Sturmbannführer_ that's a Major." They were shocked when the Officer shot his Lieutenant. Ron's reaction was pretty much all of their's except Sagara's "Holy Crap!"

Sagara continued, "His speech has changed, he's issuing orders now. Orders about Senior and the other man. Now we know where the Flag came from, Honors, dumping that body, preparing to move out, clean everything? Sanitize and destroy. And 'Schnell' , Move!"

Once the recording showed the men dropping thermite on the consoles in the Control Room and vacating it as fast as they could, Wade started skipping forward until they saw themselves enter through the main door preceded by a small cloud of spy bugs.

Ron just stood there clenching his fists. After looking at the screen that showed them leapfrogging into the villa for a moment, then he said, "Wait here. I need to go…Break something."

"Ron, we should stick together."

Still looking at the screen, "You heard that Officer. They all bugged out. He did what he came to do and left." As he was talking, he set the M249 on the floor and removed his pack. " Don't worry, I'm not going far. And I'll be easy to find." He spun on his heel and headed out into the hallway, turning towards the main foyer.

Kim tried to stop him again, "Ron…."

Sagara held up a hand to stop her, "Let him go." He looked to the doorway, "I've been where he is." A second later they heard a feral scream and a tremendous crash. This was followed by the sounds of breaking statuary. Ronald Stoppable was throwing the mother of all tantrums.

Kim's eyes tried to bore through the structure of the villa to see her lover but the only information she was able to gather came from her ears; until both the smell and sight of rock dust began to percolate into the Control Room. She stepped to the doorway and peered out.

The eight foot high, five foot wide refrigerator that had taken six men to place there was gone, as was a goodly portion of the statues that had been piled up as a barricade. When she heard an almost berserk yell and saw another statue crash into the foundation of the marble staircase, Kim ducked back into the Control Room.

Shaking her head, she reentered Senior's office just in time to hear a clench fisted, white knuckled Wade growl, "Well, Ron's pissed. Anybody else?" The screen now showed Senior's form, the Flag gently ruffling in the breeze of off the Mediterranean.

Sousuke said, "We're all angry, Specialist.

"Oh, I believe we are well beyond angry, Sagara-kun. I think that 'angry' would be a very gross understatement." For Kim, the voice and manner of speech of her friend had shifted. Her English over the last few months had relaxed…a lot. Almost to the point that she sounded like she was a native speaker with some regional accent rather than a native of Japan with English as a second language. Now she sounded very formal, very precise. Each syllable and word carefully enunciated and precisely pronounced.

Kaname's voice had taken on a quality Sagara had never heard. He would have believed that he had seen her in nearly every kind of mood she was susceptible to. He had seen her gloriously happy, heartbreakingly distraught, outraged, embarrassed, frustrated, mad, angry and upset. He now had a new addition to his list: Enraged! Not that he was far behind himself.

He looked at Kim and noted the same fury the rest of them were experiencing. The difference with her was her worry for Stoppable and the rest of them overlay and overpowered her rage. It apparently wasn't affecting her as badly as it was the rest of them. Sagara made a decision.

"Load, how long until GJ reinforcements arrive."

"Those Losers? Who cares?" The pure venom in Wade tone surprised them all.

Kim asked, "Wade?"

"Kim, had she scrambled some of their assets in Spain and France, they might have been here in time."

"Wade, you know why they can't work that way."

"'Cause they're a buncha God Dammed 'Crats! That's why!"

"WADE! Look, if they start acting without authority, they'll get shut down. And you know it! Now how long till they get here?"

The teen wasn't mollified, but he checked his database, "An hour, maybe less."

"Sagara?"

"Possible-san, I think we can agree that this is no longer a Combat Mission?"

"Yeah."

"Then from here on, you're in Command. This is now an information and recon mission and you're more experienced in that then I am. What are your orders?"

Kim wasn't surprised, but she was humbled by the trust and confidence of this Veteran Soldier. Just as he had done those months ago when he'd passed Command to Ron because the blonde knew Senior better, he had done so again because it was in the best interest of the Mission.

"Wade, can you input the conversations in German and still take part in the discussion?" The teen didn't answer, he just looked at her. "Right, dumb question."

* * *

Kim watched out of the doorway to the Control Room still hearing the sounds of her berserk boyfriend breaking things in the foyer. The sounds had slowed down in the last fifteen minutes, but she still saw the occasional statue crash into the wall.

She had almost gone out there half an hour ago, but Sagara forestalled her saying, "I know what he's going through. All you can do if you go out there too soon is make him more upset. Let his emotions burn out first, then he will be ready for comforting."

So here she waited. Wade had been in contact with the incoming GJ aircraft they would be arriving anytime and Wade had told them they could land anywhere they needed.

Still looking down the hallway, she finally saw a disheveled Ron walk past the hallway and sat on one of the few large pieces of marble left. He was stoop-shouldered and head-down as he settled down on the debris of his rampage. When he was seated, she walked down the hall, careful to make a bit of noise so he knew someone was coming towards him.

As she got closer, she noticed little things. His mission gloves were so shredded, that his hands, the knuckles in particular, were a bloody mess. His whole body was covered in the marble and granite dust that hung in the air, making him appear to almost be a gray color.

Before she was able to touch him or say anything, he said, "I'm sorry, KP."

She was puzzled. Quietly Kim asked, "For what, Ronnie?"

"For freaking out like I just did."

"Ron it's ok"

Ron's voice was cracking as he said, "No it's not, KP, cause every bit of this is my fault."

Kim was aghast, "Ron, how in the world can you think this is your fault?"

Ron was sarcastic as he said, "Oh I don't know, let's follow the reasoning here. You heard what that Officer said. He planned all this because Senior was gathering information on what they were doing." He was losing the sarcasm and gaining a hitch in his voice, "Senior had his people poking into things to get the information for me. If he'd a left it alone….then this wouldn't've happened. Oh God, it's my fault."

Kim was torn. She had to handle this sitch NOW. But hard or soft. She'd never had to deal with this kind of thing before and as much as she didn't like it, she did the same thing she had heard Ron's Uncle had done sitting in a hospital room just before Ron's birthday.

She stood and calmly pulled Ron to his feet. When he was standing, she reached back and slapped him across the face nearly as hard as she could. Ron was so stunned he just stared at her for a second.

"KP?"

Kim was emphasizing her point words by poking him in the chest. "Are you finished with this fiesta of self-pity? 'Cause from what I know about Senior, he was gonna go digging no matter what anyway. And you weren't the one who set this up. There was NO WAY you could have known this was gonna happen!"

She continued, using the same sarcastic tone Ron use a moment before. "So let's follow the reasoning here. Was Senior gonna leave it alone?"

"But…"

"No buts. Just answer the questions. Was Senior gonna leave this alone."

"No."

"Did you have any clue that this could have happened?"

"I should have…"

"Shut up. Did you have any clue that this could have happened?"

"But…"

"RON! Answer the question."

Sigh, "No."

"Alright, now I know that there's more than just 'Air under the hair' so let's think. If we take those things as fact, how could you have possibly been responsible for this?"

"I can't."

Kim waved a hand around the room, "Then all this was for what?"

Ron sat back down and scrubbed his face with his hands, "A lot of it is 'cause I really wanna hate someone, but I can't."

Now she was confused. Ron was the least likely person she that would actually hold a grudge or hate another person. "Ronnie?"

He looked up at her, "That Officer, the Major. I wanna hate him, I want it so bad I can taste it. But I can't. Senior forgave him. And because Senior forgave him, I have too."

"Come on, Ron. As soon as GJ get's here, we can go home."

* * *

It was a signal two days after they arrived home that called them to Senior's Airfield. A flat black unmarked hover-jet screamed to a landing not far from the hangars that Senior Industries had been in the process of refurbishing. He had decided to turn the airbase into a hub for his North American air shipping interests.

The door to the hover-jet opened to reveal the young man that accompanied a bedraggled Junior and Bonnie, both still dressed in the nightclothes they had been in when Senior hustled them into the hidden passage three days ago.

It was a _very _subdued Junior, still carrying the wooden box, that addressed the Team. "My Father, he is dead, isn't he?"

None of the Team wanted to answer him until Sousuke spoke up. "Senior-san, you have my sympathies. Your Father was killed three days ago by as yet unidentified forces."

In his left hand he gently cradled the box, but his right was clenched into a fist that was so tight, they swore they could hear the popping tendons. Junior's voice surprised Kim, Ron and Wade. There was no wailing, gnashing of the teeth, no tantrums, just tightly controlled anger. "Then may I assume that it is not because of a lack of effort on your parts that they are still 'unidentified'?"

"You may."

"Then on behalf of the 'House of Senior' I thank you for your efforts. Forgive my manners. You met my _Bonita, _Bonnie Rockwaller, a few months ago. This is my retainer, _Alejandro Jose de la Luna_."

Alejandro looked at the Team and said, "I know he is gone, but my father….?"

Knowing what the man was asking, again it was Sousuke that answered, "Your Father fell covering the retreat of the Senor. He met his end well."

The man closed his eyes and sighed, "I…thank you."

Junior looked at the two male Team members, "Sousuke Sagara, Ronald Stoppable, I would like to speak to the two of you privately, if I may?"

"Sure."

Junior spoke to his retainer, "Alejandro, would you see to our travel arrangements."

Alejandro nodded and said, "Senor."

Junior gestured to the side and the rest of the males walked a little way into the hangar.

Kim was a little tweaked at seemingly being snubbed like she had; she huffed, turned to Bonnie and said, "Junior seems to be taking this awfully well."

Bonnie snapped at her former classmate, "Shut up, K! You haven't spent the last three days with him. He figured it out as soon as Alejandro told us it would be two days before we surfaced, 'for our own protection'. He knew then that 'Poppi' was gone. Junior can be selfish, egotistical, self absorbed and self-centered, but he loved his Father."

"And he didn't ask to talk to them alone as a snub to _you_. He did it because he's gonna have to do something he's gonna hate. _Ask_ for a favor."

* * *

When they stepped away from the gathering, Junior said, "Ronald Stoppable, I mean no insult with what I say next. You are someone that has great experience in being unnoticed. Even with all the time you have spent with your Blue Fox, you were able to remain in the background."

"My retainer, Alejandro, has explained that it would be best if I was off the grid, so to speak. There might still be those that would like to send me the way my Father has gone. This in turn could place my Bonita in danger as well. For now both she and I will need to be 'Unnoticeable'. Will you help me?"

"You won't like it, Dude."

"Whether I like it or not does not matter. In order accomplish the vendetta for my Father. I will do whatever I must. For over half a millennium no one who has deserved it has escaped the wrath of the 'House of Senior'. And I have no intention of dishonoring my Father by starting now."

Ron looked at the furious Junior, grinned and said, "Then it looks like we're gonna have to make a stop at….."

* * *

In the days since their return from Senior's Island, something had been happening between the members of the Team. More then once they all seemed to be on the knife's edge of violence. Not with each other, but with almost everyone else around them. They seem to have settled into an Us and Them mentality. There was the 'Us', the Team, the ones that you unquestioningly trusted at your back, no matter what they were carrying. Then there was everyone else. In some ways not even family was allowed in the inner circle.

All this came to a head about a week following 'The Mission' as they started calling it. As a part of his Doctorate, Wade had been asked to perform some Student Teaching duties. He had taken on teaching a part of the same Honor's Physics lab that Kaname was taking. No one in the class knew that the two were even acquainted let alone friends and Teammates. On the nights when they had classes, she drove him to the campus and only met up with him when they got ready to get back into the car to go home.

On the night in question, since Ron and Kim had gone to visit the Possible Family and she didn't feel like standing in the kitchen for a half hour or more making dinner, she'd stopped off at the Cow & Chow for some 'snackage' for Wade, Sousuke and herself. Since she hated drive-thru's she parked the car and asked Wade to come in with her to carry everything.

Little did she know she was stepping into a hornet's nest. She had no sooner placed her order and stepped to the side to await it when the next customer in the line pulled a gun out from underneath his jacket. That was surprising. What was shocking was the next two in line did the same thing.

They started pointing the guns at clerks and customers alike. The first ordered the casher to fill a sack with the register's money while the second watched the rest of the customers with the third man grabbing a girl and pulling her to his front, holding her there by the throat. When the first had the sack in hand, two of them started to shake the customers down grabbing wallets and purses.

The trouble really started when the second man saw the diamond and sapphire engagement ring Kaname was wearing and demanded she drop it in the bag as well.

Kaname used her thumb and twisted the ring on her left hand so that the diamond and sapphires were by her palm. She closed her fist and, with the stress of the robbery piled on top of the last week causing her to revert to formal language, quietly said, "You may have my purse, Robber-san, my wallet, identification and credit cards. I might even give you the keys to my car. But if you attempt to take my Engagement Ring, Robber-san, I am quite likely to kill you where you stand."

"Uh oh!" was Wade's only comment. In an action that garnered zero interest from the robbers because it seemed so natural, Wade started sliding to the left away from Kaname. The robbers just thought he wanted to get away from the apparently crazy woman.

These thugs couldn't believe what they had just heard. This slip of a girl, a very _well stacked_ slip of a girl at that, had just threatened to kill them. They stood there looking stunned for a moment, until either bravado or stupidly took over. ((You make the call! LOL!) This was CajunBears comment and it was too funny to leave out :D)

The second robber said, "Girl, I don't know who tha _Hell_ ya think ya are, but if ya don't come up off of da bling, we might just take you, too." He looked her up and down, "You look like you'd probably enjoy it, though."

Wade added an, "Oh No!"

"This ring, Robber-san, was my Mother's engagement ring, given to me by my fiancé after my Father gave it to him to show his approval of our relationship. The only way I will ever give it up is over my dead body."

"Girl, are ya fucking stupid or something?"

"Iye."

"Huh?"

"It means 'No', Robber-san!"

Wade confused the issue a bit by saying, "Awww guy's, ya made her go all formal and Japanese again."

Had anyone from Jin-Dai High School seen her then, they would have been shocked. Chidori Kaname, the school firebrand, the girl willing to wade into a near riot of rugby players, not instantly pulling out her trademark halisen and laying waste to these men? It would have actually frightened them.

This wasn't her former usual fiery rage that could blaze up in an instant. This was a cold rational fury that was looking at 'targets', not people. She even had already labeled them in her mind as Ichi, Ni and San, or Japanese for One, Two and Three.

As her hooded eyes just flicked between the trio of 'men', her right foot slid back a bit, balancing her weight on the balls of her feet, "I have informed you of the possible consequences of your actions. Take what you have, let her go and leave."

"She's still all formal, guys! This is bad!"

Thinking to make an example of this dumbass female, the thug she had labeled 'Ni' stepped just a little too close to her, evidently intending to cow her by stuffing his gun in her face. When his gun hand came about a foot away from her, Kaname lashed out like a striking snake. Her right hand came across, parrying the gun to her left, as it did her left came up to intercept it out of line with her body, the right hand following the gunman's wrist. Once she had both hands on his wrist, she forced the trapped hand up in an arc around her head while she pivoted clockwise on her left foot, forcing an elbow lock. She kept torquing the wrist and pulling the arm, forcing the man to slam to the floor on his face.

As he fell, she stripped the gun from his hand. With the same twirl, she brought the gun around 180 degrees to bear on 'San' or Three. It was only a conscious effort on her part that stopped her reflexes from triple tapping him. She brought her aim around low and the instant her sights lined up, she pulled the trigger twice and blew out both of his knees. Keeping her momentum, she came back around to 270 degrees and fired twice more; kneecapping the prone 'Ni' she had stripped the gun from. Strafing left, she opened some distance between her and 'Ni' as he screamed on the floor.

The last gunman, 'Ichi', couldn't believe what just happened. He was even more disbelieving when Kaname discarded the gun she'd stripped from the second man behind her, only to pull an automatic from somewhere and point it directly at him as he was holding the terrified girl in front of him by the throat.

Time from when 'Ni' stepped up to Kaname until two of three men were screaming on the ground and she had a weapon pointed at the last? Three seconds. Three heartbeats. Babump, babump, babump. That fast, and the equation changed.

All this surprised 'Ichi'. What truly frightened him was Wade now had his 10mm hand cannon out, pointed at the thug and quietly saying, "I told ya that her going all formal was bad. Now, let the girl go."

"Not gonna happen, man! Ya gonna let me go, ya hear me?"

Wade very calmly said, "Now _that's_ not gonna happen. The only way you're leaving here is in custody. Either in handcuffs or a body bag, but you're gonna be in official custody. No matter what else happens, you're not leaving here a free man."

"I'll blow her head off, Muther Fucker!"

Kaname voice was just as calm as Wade's, but far colder. "That just means the ONLY way you're going to leave here is in a bag, because if you pull that trigger, we **will** pull ours. You had your chance. Now, the **only** way for you to live, is to let her go, turn around and lay face down on the ground." The BDA never wavered. Her eyes glittering with suppressed fury, the screaming of the two wounded men only punctuated the coldness of her voice.

"Aggg, she's still all formal! Man, she is _pissed_! Ya guys really shouldn't a tried to take her ring. Look, you do what she says she may not kill ya…. Maybe? I do know that she can punch a hole through a quarter at 30 feet with that .380 of hers. So she can drop ya where ya stand, even if ya do try to hide behind that girl. "

"You two are Fuckin crazy, man."

"Well that _is_ true, we're both having some PTSD issues right now. And she's gotten in the habit of getten _real_ upset, _real_ fast, lately." Wade figured he would stir the pot some more. "The last time she got this mad at someone, it wasn't pretty. It took weeks to get all the blood cleaned up. Uuuuuuu!" Wade shuddered. He glanced slightly in Kaname's direction for a second and asked, "Did ya have to use the shotgun, though?"

Kaname caught what Wade was doing. Good Cop, Bad Cop. And since she'd already shot the other two men, that made her the automatic Bad Cop. Her fury at these thugs merely enhanced it. Nonchalantly she shrugged, "It seemed like the thing to do at the time."

"Emptying it, yeah, sure. But did ya have to reload it? I mean the guy was already shot."

"It seemed…like the thing…to do…at the time, Load-san."

"Uggg, now she's even formal with _me_. Dude, you have _really_ pissed her off. Look, just surrender, let her get our grub and go home before she goes completely off because Sagara's the only one I know that can defuse a K-bomb when she get's like this. Unfortunately for _you_ he ain't here."

"…On second thought, maybe it's a good thing fer you he isn't. He would've absolutely killed ya already. 'Cause if you think his girlfriend there is crazy, he's completely 'Badeep, badeep, badeep, That's all folks', loony-tunes. He's already killed a few dozen people that just _threatened_ her. And unless you're in jail, he'll hunt you down from here to Istanbul if he has to, just to get the chance to add to the numbers."

Ichi looked from Wade to Kaname and back a few times. As far as he could tell this crazy bitch was dead serious about killing him. She looked like she wanted nothing worse then to put a bullet in his brain. He'd never seen anything like it in his life. Faint tremors of fury caused her head to nearly vibrate. Strangely those tremors didn't transfer themselves to the gun being held in her hands. It was rock steady. And it was pointed directly at his right eye, the one further away from the girl he was trying to use as a shield.

Settling his eye behind the sights of the Glock even further, Wade continued quietly talking, "So, if ya wanna live, carefully let her go, slowly turn around and lay face down on the ground."

Ichi saw the eyes of the obviously insane bitch narrow a slight bit more and he suddenly _knew_ she was about to shoot him. "ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT! Ya got it, man. Just keep that Crazy Bitch away from me!"

When he let the terrified girl go and raised his hands, with his left hand, Wade pulled the girl out of the line of fire and behind himself, the whole time covering 'Ichi'. 'Ichi' then slowly turned and kneeled to the floor.

When his hands touched the floor, he set the gun to the side and Wade kicked it away while 'Ichi' laid the rest of the way on to the floor as his fellow criminals screamed for a doctor. The whole time Wade kept his small frame and his hand cannon between 'Ichi' and the girl.

* * *

The store was a swarm of Police and EMT's inside with the press outside. Nearly a dozen press vans from various broadcast media as well as more than a few print reporters were outside waiting for something, anything to happen. So far all they had gotten was a preliminary statement that there had been a foiled armed robbery with at least two of the suspected robbers being taken to the hospital for gunshot wounds.

The bad part was the longer the initial investigation went on, the more reporters that were showing up. It was only the fact that none of them realized the connection between her and Team Possible that had kept the less 'reputable' media like the notorious Celebrity: In Depth from descending on the Cow & Chow like a flock of vultures. So far.

After calling the Police and EMT's and before they had arrived the Wade had called in the Cavalry. Kim and Ron hurried to the apartment, picked up Sousuke and bolted to the Cow & Chow to support their Teammates. Sousuke wasn't likely to garner much of a response, but several of the reporters had seen Ron and, more importantly, Kim enter the same place. That was sure to raise suspicions.

In the back of the fast food place, Kim and Ron sat with Wade at a table gently talking him through what happened while Sousuke sat beside his fiancée in a booth as she held her face in her hands, elbows on the table.

"Are ya sure you're OK there, Wadester? I know them asking ya the same questions twenty different ways is a pain in the patootie."

"Yea, there was a while there, right after Kaname grabbed that guy's pistol I was scared outta my mind." He grinned, "Of course, after they tried to snatch Kaname's ring, I knew the 'fecal waste matter was about to impact the rotary atmospheric oscillator' so I was sorta ready for it."

Ron's eyes went wide as he parsed the sentence while Kim looked puzzled "Huh? Wade, Monique-speak is bad enough, but geek-speak is pushing it."

Ron looked at his girlfriend, "Uhh, KP, that wasn't geek-speak. I bet he learned that one from Sagara."

"Then what's it mean?"

"Actually, no Ron. It was your Uncle Roger. And it's a polite way of saying that I knew the shit was about to hit the fan, Kim."

"WADE!"

The teen grinned, "What? You asked. Beside's, I'm fine, a little shook up, but I'm fine. I gotta tell ya though, there was a while there I really thought she was gonna blast that guy."

**Insert Break**

They were using English instead of Japanese to prevent any suspicion of collusion.

"I overreacted."

Sousuke pondered his answer a moment and gulped. Kaname heard the sound and looked at him, saying, "You can say it."

"Maybe you did, a bit. I watched the security recordings. But once the first one stepped up to you, they forced your reactions."

"Personally, I think the only thing I would have done differently is…I would have killed the first two. You took a large risk allowing those two to live without being able to cover them. Especially the first one you dropped. He could still reach his weapon. If he hadn't been puling and squealing on the floor like a wounded animal."

"The Investigators are of the opinion so far that you had no choice. They question the fact you refused to surrender the ring." Sousuke gave her one of his rare small grins, "A decision I support completely, by the way."

"_Sousuke-kun, arigato._"

"_Mon dai nai."_

* * *

Kim had an evil look as she watched her friend while they were waiting for the police investigators to release them. "I do have a question though, Wade."

Wade sighed, "Kim, I've already answered like a gazillion questions from the Police about what happened. I'd rather not talk about it anymore tonight." He completely missed the teasing look she was wearing. Ron caught it though.

"Uh KP, maybe we oughta let him relax for a while."

"Oh, just one more won't hurt him, Ronnie." And with that Ron knew that the Wadester was doomed.

With a viscous grin Kim pulled out a tissue and wiped at the underside of Wade's jaw, "Where'd all this lipstick come from, Wade?"

"Huh?"

"Dude!…Isn't that the color that chick up front had on?" Kim gave Ron a pointed look. "I only noticed cause it was smeared on her face, KP."

"Well, I believe you're right, Ronnie. It does look like the same shade. Wade?"

In later years, Wade doubted he would ever forgive Ron for his betrayal that night, "Ya know I'd kinda like an answer to that one myself, there Wadester."

* * *

Kaname was a woman on a mission. Something had occurred to her shortly after Thanksgiving. Not only had he missed out on all the Thanksgivings since he was a child. Not that it really would have mattered in Japan because it wasn't a Japanese holiday.

But Christmas was a different matter. While it didn't have the religious context it did in the Americas or Europe, it was still celebrated by a significant portion of the Japanese people as a secular holiday. And except for the small gifts they had exchanged last year, her man had missed out on every one since the death of his family.

She tried to think of a way to make this Christmas the most special she could. After wandering around the various malls in the area, she was struck by an idea. The problem was she wasn't sure how to go about it. Maybe she could ask Kim's brothers for advice.

But all thoughts of Christmas were put on hold as they got a call requesting the presence of Team Possible in Northern England.

* * *

**English Countryside  
****The Manor of Montgomery Fiske  
AKA ****Monkey Fist**

They entered the grounds of the same Manor that one Ronald Dean Stoppable had come to with Dr. Wade Load's infamous holo-Kim almost four years ago as a Sophomore in High School to find the place crawling with 'Bobbies'.

"Ms. Possible, Ah, don't know wat gud ye kin du herer. Boot da highers duwn in London figgered ye wuod be sumone that might wanna know aboot wat happened herer."

"What can you tell us, Officer?"

"Well it's pretty grisly. Is seems that one of da locals nuticed a lot uf birds over da Manor. Being a member uf da local birdwatcher society, he pegged 'em as carrion feeders. He was able ta raise enough uf a hullabaloo at da station that day sent a few men up ta investigate. Wat day found wasn't pretty."

"It was two things that made them call ye herer. Da first is this place was Lord Fiske's Manor und from wat we hear, y'all ave had a more than a few run-ins da nutty bugger, the second was who they fund inside. We had to run her DNA ta figger uot who it was. Turns uot it was one uf your villains, a Ms. Amy Hall."

"DNAmy?"

"Dhat's da one. There were a bunch a weird animals all uver da place. Da ting is they were all ded, killed by small arm's fire. We've already cleaned a bit. Taken the deceased to da coroner und such for autopsy."

Kim held up her Kimmunicator and asked, Do you mind if we take a look around inside? We might be able to find out something your guys might have missed."

"It's already ben approved. Ya ave ta wear booties und gloves. Just be careful nut ta disturb da placards und chalk lines. Dere needed fer the investigation."

"Thanks Officer."

After an hour of fruitless searching, Ron made an observation. His eyes narrowed in incipient anger as he was looking around the room where Amy had been found and said, "What a minute! He said DNAmy was here along with a bunch of her living Cuddle-buddies. So if she was here…where's Monty?"


	46. Christmas Wishes

Ya know, things just work faster when ya have a couple guys willing to take the time to stand still long enough for ya to throw ideas at 'em to figger out what works. Thanks Sentinel and CajunBear.

Chapter 46 Christmas Wishes

* * *

Ron, Sagara, Junior and Alejandro left in Eleanor, leaving Bonnie in the care of Kim and Kaname in the Sloth. Like the good bodyguard he was, Alejandro was slightly concerned about letting Bonnie out of his sight with only the two girls as cover until he realized just _who_ one of the girls was.

Sousuke was a bit miffed that the man dismissed his love until he thought about it. If this obvious professional misread her skills, then so would just about everyone else. And more often than not, the most effective skill is the one your opponents don't know about. Suckers!

The guys drove the two hours back to Middleton and made their first stop at the bank. Ron had called his Father and told him, not asked, but told him to meet them there.

At the beginning of the call Gene Stoppable was about to give his son a piece of his mind until Ron cut him off saying it was Mission related. While he was the young college student/Teen Hero's Father, he knew better than to argue with him when it came to Mission work. What Ron said he needed almost had him back to a giving of the mind state.

"Dad, I need thirty thousand dollars out of my account. Now!"

"Thirty thou…Ronald…"

"Dad, it's a loan."

"A loan? Ronald, that's a lot of money just for a loan. It's not like it's fifty or a hundred dollars. How can you be sure it'll be returned?"

"Oh, that's not a problem." Ron looked at the tall, tanned, buff young man beside him. "I'm sure ya can cover a thirty G loan, can't ya, Junior."

Junior looked insulted, "Thirty thousand American Dollars? Please, if we would have had any time to prepare at all, I have at least four times that much in _my_ petty cash drawer, not including various amounts of Euros, Yen and Won."

He hung his head, "It was only the quick thinking of my Father's….my retainers that my Bonita and I have our Passports, Identification and credit cards. Speaking of which, I have credit cards that are worth millions and access to accounts that are worth billions, why would I need a loan from anyone?"

"Junior, how many people know you left the island? Ten, twenty people maybe? And every one of them would probably die ta keep you safe. And of those that know ya left, how many know you're here. One! But if you start flashing around Neutronium credit cards, it won't take long before half the planet knows you're here. Including the guys that got your Dad."

"Ronald, I think you mean platinum credit cards."

"No Dad, I _mean_ Neutronium. You don't know who this is. Junior, this is my father, Gene Stoppable, Dad, this is Senor Senior, Junior, His dad….He's one of the five richest guys on the planet."

Now Gene Stoppable was no man's fool and it didn't take him long to put the pieces together. He looked at Junior and said, "You have my sympathies, young man. The loss of a loved one is never easy." Junior just nodded.

To Ron he simply asked, "Is Thirty thousand going to be enough?"

"I think so, Dad.

"I presume you're doing this to keep your friend from being found?"

"Yap."

"Then I suggest you make it harder for anyone to track the transactions. Instead of drawing the cash out of a single bank today, I'll draw out enough to see you through the next few days, say four or five thousand. In a week or two I'll make another withdrawal, a week or so later another and so on. No round numbers. Four thousand four hundred and fifty-eight today. That will keep the transfers from being too noticeable. They'll look like normal business transactions. I'll even start shuffling funds between our portfolios to blur the picture even more."

Just like when his dad had helped against the Mather, Ron stood in awe of his Father again. "Th..thanks Dad. I figgered I'd really have to talk fast ta get ya ta help."

"I admit when I heard how much you wanted me to draw out I was concerned, but under the circumstances, it's the least I can do. You have a duffle or something in the trunk I can use, Mr. Sagara?" When Sousuke emptied one of his smaller weapons bags, Gene said, "Wait here, this will take a few minutes."

* * *

An hour later, after a stop at the garage to get Junior into something besides the now four day old night clothes, found them sitting in the car in a huge parking lot. Junior and Alejandro were both wearing a set of Sousuke's older workout clothes. The retainer seemed comfortable in the outfit and Junior was strangely quiet about it. When Ron asked him about it, the answer raised a couple of eyebrows.

"You think I have gained and kept my superb physique simply laying about and working on my golden tan. I try and maintain a serious physical regimen and was able to keep up with Shego when Father hired her to train me in villainy. There is nothing wrong with clothes fitting the circumstances."

"Alright. Junior, I told ya that ya weren't gonna like what ya were gonna have to do and you said whatever it takes. Does that still go?"

"Would it still go if the last of your family had been murdered, Ronald Stoppable?"

"Works for me. Junior, welcome to Smarty Mart."

When they entered, Junior looked around the vast space, confused by the mega mart retail outlet store. "What is the purpose behind this establishment, Ronald Stoppable?"

"Well, like ya told me before, ya wanna be unnoticeable. This is the best place at make that happen. Sure it might not be Club Banana, but if ya wanna fly under the radar, then CB ain't the thing for you. And if ya try having tailors come in someone's gonna notice. The trick to being unnoticeable is hiding in plain sight. Like that guy we heard about in World History. Sagara, what was his name Mon Dodong?"

"That's Mao Zedong, Stoppable-san. And I believe the quote you're referring to is '_The guerrilla must move amongst the people as a fish swims in the sea.' _And you are correct. Senor Junior, the best way to hide you is if you appear similar to everyone around you. There is little we can do about your physique; however there is a great deal we can do about the rest of your appearance."

Ron and Sousuke looked at each other for a moment and started considering Junior. Their stances were eerily similar, left arm across their chest holding the right elbow as their right hands held their jaws contemplatively.

Ron was the first to voice an idea, "Lose the razor."

Sousuke voiced his approval, "Very good, Stoppable-san. The barber as well."

"Oh, that was a given. It's the Le Goop that's really gotta go."

Seeing the impending horror rising on Junior's face, Ron suddenly hardened. He grabbed the larger young man by the workout jacket he was wearing and bounced him off a handy nearby wall.

Growling, he said, "You listen to me, Junior. The five of us helped load your Father into a transport for Madrid a few days ago for autopsy. A pointless thing to do since it was obvious from the bullet holes what killed him. Now you asked for my help keepin' you alive. If ya want it, then shut up and do what we tell ya to do. Clear!"

"Ye..yes Ronald Stoppable."

"Lose the formal language, too. It's a dead giveaway. Call me Ron or Stoppable. Let's go, you got an appointment in the men's department."

* * *

Ron stepped into the living room and said, "Ladies, I give you the newly covert and clandestine Senor Senior, Junior."

When Junior appeared, Kim and Bonnie were shocked at the difference. Kaname was the only one that wasn't surprised because other than the introductions at the airport, she had never met the old Junior.

Gone was the designer pants and tight shirt, the perfect hair and multi-hundred dollar shoes. In their place was loose fitting carpenter's pants and plain black baggy T-shirt. While his hair was still clean and healthy looking, it was mussed without a hint of mousse or gel. On his feet were a pair of steel-toed work boots and a heavy coat covered his torso. All in all, he looked like a construction worker, ready for a day on the job. There was even a pair of light leather gloves in the thigh pocket of the carpenter's pants.

Kim was the first to find her voice, "Ron, you're a genius. If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I don't think I could believe it. He doesn't look anything like the old Junior."

Bonnie was floored, "Where did you get that look, Stoppable?"

"Bonnie, this is me. Where do ya think I took him? And I promise ya it ain't CB!"

"SMATRYMART? You mean to tell me you created this macho hotness at that outlety place?"

"Well let's see. Construction workers are by your own definition 'macho hotness'. But they go ta work knowing they're gonna hammer their clothes. And since it'd be kinda _stupid_ ta spend more than half a C-note on every pair of pants that you _expect_ to get hammered on the job." Since his mission clothes cost about a third what hers did, Kim had the decency to blush when Ron looked at her sidelong when he stressed the word '_expect_' .

"And since it's the same place every other construction worker in the Tri-city area goes to get new clothes, I figgered 'why not?'. Besides, I know for a fact you can fight in those clothes." Now Ron's face went grim. "And something tells me Junior here might have to do exactly that."

Junior was scratching at growing stubble on his jaw. "Ronald Sto…." Junior paused at the glare Ron sent his way, "Ron, do I really have to forego shaving. This itches terribly."

"If ya wanna live, get used to it. You too Bonnie. Super rich dudes shave every day. A lot of the middle-class don't. And until we can put the kibosh on whoever hit your dad, the more middle-class you look, the harder it'll be for them ta find you. That's why we got ya that set of clippers. Once it grows out a bit, ya can use 'em ta keep it under control."

Ron unslung the duffel he was carrying and rummaged through it, pulling out a bundle of cash and handed it to Kim. "Here's a grand, KP."

She was staring at the cash in her hand with an eyes wide, open jawed look when Ron misinterpreted the look and handed her a second bundle, "You're right, here take two. I need ya to take Bonnie shopping for the _basics_. Everything she needs. I don't mean that cute pair of pumps she thinks she just has to have or the belt that would go perfect with the amazing skirt she just saw. She's got to blend in." Ron looked at Bonnie's hair. "And that frosted look's got to go, too. Those eyebrows rule out blonde or a redhead. Make her brunette."

Bonnie started to squawk, "Now wait a minute!"

Ron wasn't having it. He got right in her face and said, "Do ya wanna live? Cause if ya don't, ya just keep on doing what ya been doing. And I'll bet it'll a matter of days before they're burying you just like they're burying Senior!"

"Now it's this or you can be a prisoner in your own home, surrounded by bodyguards. Not that they'll do any good. The guys that got Senior had an entire _Company_ of assault Troops. Two _hundred_ men with military grade weapons."

"The only way for you to live is just like the witness protection programs. Under the radar, low key, don't draw attention to yourself, blend in. And top fashions, salon hair, bling bling and livin' large ain't it!"

Kim stood there staring at the man that handed her the wads of money in awe. Ron Stepupable! Grim faced, takin control of the Sitch! Other then the night they'd spent at the lake, the only time she had wanted jump his bones this bad had been when she was "Moodulated'.

When he saw he had Bonnie cowed, he turned to Kim, "KP, can ya make it fast? When ya get back, Junior has an appointment in New York with Senior's lawyers."

She just nodded and murmured, "Sure thing, Ron."

Ron glared at his now slightly less self-absorbed charges and said, "I'm going to the Dojo for a while. I need to work out."

* * *

When her cell sounded the tone she had programmed for her Father's number she opened it and said "Hi, Daddy. What's up?"

"Kimmie-cub, I need to talk to _Ronald."_ James practically bit off Ron's name. "He's not answering his cell. _Where is he_?

She could tell he was not a happy camper. Something had the man in a tweak and since he had asked where _Ronald_ was, she had a good idea of what set the man off. Somehow he had either figured out or had been told that she had taken her relationship with a certain blond young man to a whole new level.

Her thought was, since she had never really had any success in getting her Father to see her as something besides a four year old, to let Ron handle the sitch.

"Well, he's in the Dojo right now, Daddy. He's going to be there a while if ya wanna come over to talk to him."

"Think I'll do just that!"

She cheerily said, "OK Daddy." She closed the phone, muttering, "Your funeral. Well, at least Ron won't kill him. Still, I better warn him that Daddy's on his way."

* * *

As James Possible approached the garage, he entered a number on his cell phone and hit send. This deactivated the security system and opened the overhead door. He stalked through the garage portion of the structure, fuming about the call he'd gotten from Wade a short while ago.

When the teen had called him to tell him that he'd 'Won the pool', the first words out of his mouth was 'What pool?' Even being told that the Lowardians were returning wouldn't have shocked him as badly as the stammering, blushing answer Wade had given him. The only unanswered question James had was who in the Hell had placed a five dollar bet in his name on such a thing as when his Kimmie-cub would give her…uh, do the…uh lose her…uh, never mind that! None of that mattered more than confronting the one responsible for this situation.

That _**Boy**_, Ronald Dean Stoppable.

Throughout the Dojo stood an even dozen training dummies, strangely with a potato on top of each one. Ron had left the Lotus Blade in its default shape of a Feudal Era katana. He spun and twirled through the Dojo maintaining the speed of the Blade, never allowing it to rest for more than the instant it took to shift his grip. When he attacked one of the dummies, he would 'disarm' it, then strike the potato, sending the top half of the hard vegetable spinning beside the bottom half.

The last target was close to the door where James had entered. The scientist was in an excellent position to see the razor sharp sword parry the dummy sword and catch the potato on the back swing. This time the top half went flying and the bottom spun off of the pedestal.

"Missed.", the sweating Swordsman muttered. He looked at James and growled, "That damn backswing gets me every time."

James was seriously considering that maybe he should calm down a little bit before things got out of hand. "Uh, what do you mean missed Ronald? You cut it in half."

Ron ran a silk cloth across the Blade, and then placed it back on the wall amongst the other weapons on the wall. "That wasn't the point of the training, MrDrP. I was supposed to strike it fast enough to leave both halves on top."

Ron walked to the cooler and pulled out two bottles of water, tossing one to James and grabbing a towel for his face. "Anyway, KP said ya wanted to talk to me 'bout something."

"That's right Ronald. I heard a very troubling piece of information earlier."

To James, young Ronald looked disturbingly calm, "From the look on your face, I'd guess somehow you heard that KP and I have taken our relationship to the next level."

Ronald, I have the Center on speed dial and there's a…"

Ron quietly interrupted, "MrDrP, if the words, Black. Hole. Probe. come out of your mouth, you and I are gonna have a problem."

"Now see here, Ronald!"

Ron never took his eyes off of the taller man. He just whispered, "Lotus Blade." and the Blade flew from the wall, impacting into his outstretched hand. Spinning in place, Ron struck the dummy three times, in a reverse of motions as his nightmare from months ago. Left, right then straight up the center of the dummy. The dummy practically exploded, with pieces of the torso still tumbling in the air as the base fell over.

Ron never raised his voice, "I don't take threats very well, MrDrP. Never have. Ever! Used to be whenever I was threatened, I got terrified, and panicked, and ran around screaming like a lunatic. I looked like an idiot."

"But all that changed a year ago. Now I still don't deal with threats very well, cause I still get terrified. But what's changed is my reaction to it. I _deal_ with the threat."

"And just to let ya know, anybody that tries ta stuff me into a deep space probe without asking, is asking for trouble. Not only from me, but from KP too."

He replaced the Blade on the wall and said, "Now that we're done beating our chests and trying to intimidate each other, are you ready ta listen?"

James could merely nod as he stared slack-jawed at the pieces of scrap.

"Good. Then, I'm gonna ask ya a couple a questions. Do you honestly believe that I would try ta force myself on her? And even if I tried, do ya really think I could? If I had a tried, there's three other people in this building alone that would wanna put a beat-down on me and God only knows how many others there are around the world."

"Now while Kaname don't really have a chance, Wade would have me worried 'cause I don't know what all he's been doing to that BK he's got downstairs. And if Wade worries me, I'd be praying that Sagara never get's to that AS of his. 'Cause MMP or not, that thing scares the crap outta me."

"And just who do you think made the first move, anyway, MrDrP? 'Cause as much as the thought has crossed my mind in the last couple a years, and it has, with the way me and KP's always been, ya can probably guess it wasn't me."

"Now I remember the Middleton Days Fair a few years back. Ya told me then that if I made KP unhappy, that the trouble was gonna be Black Hole Deep. Now I ask you, does she seem unhappy?"

James had been trying to interject a comment here and there during each one of Ron's points. The problem was he couldn't refute any of them. No matter how much he wanted to.

He sighed and said, "You're not fighting fair, Ronald."

Ron grinned and said, "Something I learned from Uncle Rog. 'There's no such thing as a fair fight.' The question still stands though. Does KP seem unhappy to you?"

James sighed again, "No, she doesn't. Actually I don't think she's been this happy since she was four years old."

Ron muttered, "Well, good to know I'm doing something right.

He continued, addressing the Father of the women he loved, "Look, whether you like it or not, we're both adults. We can vote, enter into binding contracts, enlist in the Military or move to Turkmenistan. And there's nothing you can legally do to stop any of it."

"You can talk to us and try to influence our decisions. But those decisions are just that, ours! Anything that happens between the two of us is something the two of us have decided. And the fact you might not like some of those decisions is just something your just gonna have to accept."

James looked at the young man before him. He saw there were serious differences in Ron than there was just a year ago. Twelve months ago, Ron had been barely half a head taller then Kimberly and only thirty or forty pounds heaver than her hundred and ten; while being a little pudgy around the middle. Now he stood at least a full head taller than Kim and outweighed her by eighty or ninety pounds; all of it solid muscle

But it wasn't the physical changes that stood out to James. It was the look in Ronald's eyes that truly struck him. They were harder now than they had been a year ago. Much harder.

"You've changed, Ronald. You've grown up a lot in the last year."

"No MrDrP, I haven't. I talked Rabbi Katz. He said that I've _been_ changed. There's a difference. And as for growing up, what's happened since Graduation…."

He shook his head clearing it of the visions threatening to cause a flashback. "Anyway, back to me and KP. The thing that changed last year was I figgered out just what KP meant to me. And if you think you're gonna _threaten_ me away from her, you better think again. The only way the two of are gonna split up is if we _choose_ to split up."

Ron's face grew sly, "And if things work out right, you might wanna start getting a lot of cash set aside."

Dawning comprehension showed on the other man's face, "For what?"

"Well, traditionally it's the bride's family that pays for the wedding isn't it."

"Ronald, are you asking me…"

"No. I'm not asking ya, I'm telling ya. It's my intention to ask KP to marry me. You're blessing is wanted and hoped for, but it's _not_ required. I haven't asked her yet. Not sure when I'm gonna either. But it's gonna happen. I just figgered it would make ya more comfortable with everything knowing I intend to do right by KP."

Ron's grin grew again, "I've even got the rings. We'll have to go the bank if ya wanna see 'em though. I got em in the safety deposit box so nobody can accidentally find em."

"I think I'd like to see those rings, Ronald."

"Give me a minute to get cleaned up and I'll get my keys."

* * *

After Kim had dropped Bonnie off, Sousuke flew Junior, Bonnie and Alejandro to New York to visit Junior's lawyers. After they left Kaname asked Kim for a favor in meeting with the Tweebs.

There was a sense of urgency in the car as Kim and Kaname drove to the Possible home. Not a 'Mission Mode' or danger sense, but the kind where someone anxious to have something finished.

Kim asked her friend, "Are you sure you wanna talk to the '_Tweebs_', Kaname?"

"Do you know anyone else their age?"

"Well….no. But ya have to be careful with those two. They can be…unpredictable. They might just see it as a chance to pull a prank or something."

"I hope not, this is too important."

While Kaname focused on the road as they approached the Possible's subdivision, she still remembered how she had acquired her self imposed 'mission'. Her Father had taken them on a tour of New York the day following their arrival in the city.

At one point Shunya excused himself leaving Kaname, Sousuke and Ayame in the foyer of a large building. As they chatted, waiting for Shunya to return, they heard a small, plaintive voice saying, "'Cuse me?"

They looked around and the problem was there was no one there. Then they heard it again. "'Cuse me, are you Santa Claus?"

It was Ayame that figured it out. Just like the school trip to the museum, the room's acoustics could carry a whisper. She pointed across the length of the foyer, saying "Over there."

On the other side of the long lobby was a collection point for the United States Marine Corp 'Toys for Tots' program. Standing to the side, like a statue, at the position of Attention was a Staff Sergeant in Full Dress Uniform, including the pristine white gloves. He was huge, nearly 6 and a half feet tall broad shouldered and well muscled.

In front of the Marine was a small bedraggled little boy of about six years old.

He barely came up to the waist of the motionless Marine. Somehow the acoustics of the lobby carried the sound of the little boy clearly across the length of the room and through the hubbub of the people inside.

They watched as the little boy fumbled with a folded piece of paper as he said, "I heard you might be him. If you are him, here's my list."

There was a pause and the statue moved a tiny bit. The Marine's left hand uncurled slightly and his palm faced forward. The eyes of the little boy went wide in awe. He carefully set the list in the opened hand and scurried away saying in hushed tones "He is Santa Claus!"

Ayame, who had lived in the United States for years and knew about the annual USMC 'Toys For Tots' drive, was crying at the sight. Kaname watched as the little boy hurried out the door.

Sousuke was confused. He had learned a lot but he was still clueless about a lot of things in the civilian world. He asked, "Why did the Sergeant break regulations like that?" Seeing the shocked looks the girls were giving him he said, "The Marine is Posted on Interior Guard duty. By regulations he is not to move until he is relieved."

It hit Kaname that, just like Thanksgiving, he had missed out on other holidays as well. While not the religious holiday it is in the Western World, Christmas was still celebrated in Japan as a lover's holiday, closer to the American idea of St. Valentines Day. Well she was going to fix that loss in Sousuke's life. She had started with Thanksgiving, now it was time for another.

Thinking fast she said, "Ayame, you said you wanted to help on a 'Mission', right?"

Confused the girl said "Uh, yeah."

"Imoto-chan, go with Sousuke. Keep him from overreacting. Sousuke, I want you to find out where that little boy lives. _Don't_ let him know you're following him. Listen to Ayame, that kid isn't an enemy. Understand?"

"No Kaname-chan. But I trust you enough to do as you ask without question."

She beamed at him and gave him a quick kiss saying, "Go track the kid and stay in contact." When they left, she resumed watching the E-6 standing across the lobby. Other than blinking occasionally, he'd returned to his grim, stone-faced, motionless statue act, but she wasn't fooled. Under that forbidding façade was a softy.

She recalled from somewhere, probably Sousuke, that most Interior Guard duty was about 60 minutes, so she settled in to wait for both her Father and his relief. When Shunya reappeared, she told him what she was doing and why. It was a mission Shunya heartily approved of.

* * *

Outside, Sousuke and Ayame saw a frantic woman examining the little boy. They were close enough to hear her saying. "Where did you go? I was worried about you?"

"I found him, momma. I found Santa! He's inside and I gave him my Christmas list!"

The woman looked through the doors to see the Marine and the display he was 'Guarding'.

Her face grew poignant as she smiled, "OK, honey. But you shouldn't run off like that, OK?"

"OK, momma."

"Let's go." Sousuke and Ayame followed as she led the boy away to a car in an alley. The back of station wagon was packed to the roof with what looked like everything they owned.

She settled the boy in the passenger seat with a comic book and walked to the back of the wagon. There was a pair of bumper stickers on the car. One said 'Semper Fi', the other, 'I (Heart) My Marine'. She sagged to the bumper and sat there quietly crying.

Sousuke pulled his cell and took a picture of the license plate and forwarded it to Kaname and Wade, then called Wade on the Kimmunicator.

"What's up, Sagara?"

"Load-san, can you track our location?"

"Of course, I'm showing ya in Manhattan in New York."

"There is an automobile close to our location. I need you to maintain a watch on it. I sent you the license plate."

Wade pegged at the keyboard for a moment and said, "Got it. As long as they stay in the New York Metro area it won't be a problem. Why do ya want me to eye on 'em?"

"I don't know. Kaname asked me to find out what I could about them."

"Well I got a lock on 'em. I'll start trying to dig up what I can."

"Roger, we'll be in contact. Sagara out."

* * *

Shortly after Sousuke and Ayame returned, the group saw a second Marine, a Lance Corporal this time, in dress uniform march up to the Staff Sergeant. He saluted and said, "You are relieved."

The E-6 returned the salute and said, "I stand relieved."

They exchanged places and the Sergeant marched a short distance away. Once he was far enough away, he worked his neck and shoulders around to relieve a few kinks. He noted the approach of what appeared to be Japanese tourist family. Thinking they might be lost or need help, he was mentally trying to recall the Japanese he'd picked up when he'd been stationed in Okinawa.

He gave a short bow and said, "_Kon'nichiwa, watashi wa tasuke to naru koto mo arimasu?_" (Hello, may I be of assistance?) From Ayame's giggle he knew his pronunciation had to be bad.

Shunya eyed the younger girl and said, _"Ayame-chan, anata wa tanin ni y__ū__moa o mitsukeru mae ni jibun no Nihongo o k__ō__j__ō__ sa seru koto o kangaete mirubekida." _(Ayame-chan, you should think about improving your own Japanese before finding humor in someone else's.) She ducked her head at the rebuke.

Kaname took charge of the meeting, "Please Sergeant, our English is excellent."

"Thank you, it's been a couple of tours ago since I was with 2nd of the 7th at Camp Schwab in Okinawa. What can I do for you folks?"

Kaname had some time to think about how to broach the subject to the Marine and had decided to start off by making sure he had a reason to trust them. "Sergeant, did you see the news about that dam break a few months ago? The one where Team Possible helped out?"

The Sergeant grinned, snapped his fingers and pointed to Sousuke, "I recognize you now. You were the pilot of that Duck. Ya also did that forced entry, that was some good work. You got some stones boy. But I bet the 'Pucker Factor' was pretty high when ya got hammered in that flood."

He looked to Kaname and said, "And you were flying around with what-his-name, Possible's boyfriend. But the news never figgered out who you guys were. Possible just said you guys were reserve Team members or something. What can I do for ya?"

"Sergeant, I'm Kaname Chidori, this is Sousuke Sagara. We saw that little boy that gave you his list. We'd like to get it from you."

"Why?"

"Cause we're gonna fill it. Sousuke tracked him back to his mother. He said they're living out of their car. According to the information we've been able to dig up, she's the widow of a Marine."

The Marine Sergeant's eyes went flat and he growled, "She's homeless? That's not supposed to happen to a Marine Family. Where is she?"

A few minutes later found a strange procession entering the alley consisting of a Marine and four Japanese nationals. They agreed that Kaname and Ayame, as a young woman and a teen would be the best to draw the woman into trusting them. The two girls approached the car and got the woman's attention. After a moment they were able to convince her to accompany them a short way apart from the car. Once she was with the group, the Marine took charge.

"Ma'am, I am Staff Sergeant Schull, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment out of Garden City. Where is your Marine?"

"He was killed two years ago in Fallujah."

"What unit was he in?"

"He called it the 'Triple Deuce'."

Sergeant Schull pondered a moment, "2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment 2nd Marine Division, based out of Camp Lejeune. They took part in Operation Phantom Fury in and around Fallujah, Iraq in Oh five. Ma'am, what are you doing here?"

"After Danny was killed, I came back here to New York. This was where I grew up. I thought I had a job…, but it didn't work out."

"What happened to his SGLI? That should have been enough to get you started, at least."

"His what?"

"His Servicemembers Group Life Insurance."

"…His what?"

"I see, somebody goofed. Well, Ma'am, let's get you home."

She was starting to break down again, "We…we…we don't have one any more."

He looked at her sternly and said, "Ma'am, of course you have a home. You have one with the Marines. You're a Marine Family, and the Marine's take care of their own. If nothing else, I have a garage you can park that car of yours in and heated basement and some cots you can use until we can come up with something better."

"My wife would unscrew my skull and scramble my brains if she found I left you here like this. I'll call her and tell her to expect ya so she can start setting things up. She's making southern fried chicken for dinner. She'll need ta cut up another bird."

He pulled out his wallet and took out a business card. "This has my home phone number and address on it. Just take the 495 out to mile marker 39, from there ya jump onto the Northern State Parkway. Take the Northern State around until you can jump on the Meadowbrook. Take the Meadowbrook until you can get off at Stewart Ave. That'll put you near Nassau Community College. You find a payphone on Stewart and call that number and tell my wife where you are, she'll come find you and take you home."

Then he withdrew a few twenty Dollar bills, "Here, this should be enough to get you enough gas to get ya to Garden City and something to eat on the way. Once we get you on your way, I'll call the Colonel and let him know what's happening. If nothing else find out what happened to your husband's SGLI."

This was all happening just too fast. The stunned woman stood there looking at the card and cash the towering Marine stuffed into her hand and the only thing she could think to say was, "Why?"

"Because Marines don't leave people behind, Ma'am."

She threw herself into the chest of the towering Marine and sobbed, repeating "Thank you." over and over. When she had settled herself a bit, Sergeant Schull said, "Don't thank me, Ma'am. These two are part of Team Possible, thank them. They're the ones that led me to you." Kaname and Sousuke found themselves being smothered by the crying woman.

Once the young widow was on her way, Sergeant Schull turned to Kaname and Sousuke and said, "I want to thank you two for your help."

Kaname answered, "Helping is what the Team is all about, Sergeant. The only thing we need now is that list."

He chuckled and reached into his pocket, saying, "Ya know, I forgot all about that." He opened the folded page of grade school ruled paper and read what was on the list of a little boy. There were no toys or bicycles, no action figures or handheld games on the list. The list consisted of a single thing. In the blocky scrawl of a six year old little boy it read:

_Deer Santa, Mommy has ben sad for a whil, bcuse she dont have work any mor. Now we hav to stay in ur car bcase we dont have a partmnt any mor. So fur Crismas coud you hlp Mommy fnd a nuw partmnt fur us ot live in. _

He looked at the young adults with a smile and passed the list, "You already filled it."

Confused, the Chidori's and Sousuke started reading. As they did, Sergeant Schull said, "Just so you know, if Team Possible ever needs help, 2nd of the 25th Marines stand ready."

* * *

Kaname shook her head, clearing her of her reverie, bringing back to the present. When they arrived at the Possible homestead, Kim led her to the basement where Jim and Tim had taken over her old workout area.

"Tweebs, Kaname wants ta talk to ya.

"I need your help. The two of you are the youngest boys I know besides, Wade."

"Why should we…"  
"Help you, your sister…"  
"Just ignored us…"  
"Like we weren't there."

"How is that my fault?"

They couldn't really answer that and that made them more annoyed. The only explanation they could come up with was,

"If ya don't get it…"  
"We can't explain it."

It was a teenage boy thing.

Suddenly Kaname had a flash. These two had a tendency to get focused on a single goal to the exclusion of nearly everything else. She first looked Kim and grinned, "It's all about analogies."

"Huh?"

"A lot of the problem you've had with these two is they lack foresight." She looked at the 'Tweebs' and said, "You two don't often see the consequences of your actions, do you?"

The two of them shrugged,

"It was never a big…"  
"Deal in the past…"  
"So we never really…"  
"Thought about it."

"Well maybe you should start. For example, I can assure you, that very few girls want to share their boyfriends, particularly with another girl. And I can promise you it's the same way with boys."

"What's that got to do with the…"  
"Price of H2O2?"

Seeing the confused expressions on the girls they said,

"Hydrogen Peroxide…"  
"Rocket fuel."

"Maybe nothing, maybe everything. When it comes to Ayame, the two of you have only been seeing the goal, my sister, instead of the consequences."

Stereo, "Huh?"

Kaname smiled when she snapped her trap, "If you were able to get her attention…which one of you would date her?"

Stereo, "Me, of course."

Their heads snapped to look at each other, "Not you, me." It was a good thing they were having the discussion in Kim's old basement workout room because things quickly devolved from there.

It took a few minutes to settle the twin terrors down enough for Kaname to continue. She looked at the two teens standing before her with their arms crossed and said, "Are the two of you aware of Sousuke's childhood?"

They looked at each other and said, in stereo, "No."

Kaname explained what growing up was like for the Soldier. As she went the two boys quickly grew horrified. "He never got to enjoy any of the things you two take for granted. He was beaten if he was found more than the bare minimum of food. Not spanked, beaten! A holiday for him was a day he didn't have to fight for his food. He was forced into Battle when he was about half your age. And Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years, all the other holidays you get out of school for, he was denied all of them."

"And I need your help to make that up to him."

The Tweebs looked at each other for a second, turned back to Kaname and said,

"What can we…"  
"do to help?"


	47. Landslide

You know who they are! Sentinel on Soundingboard duties and CajunBear finding my faults. Thanks Guys!

Chapter 47 Landslide

Everything in the room screamed 'MONEY'. From the hand rubbed blond oak trim work and Corinthian leather upholstered chairs to the almost silk like deep plush carpeting and ten thousand dollar Armani and Savile Row suits; which is why the person sitting at the head of the table looked _totally_ out of place.

While his outlet clothing seemed to place him in the middle class, there was absolutely no doubt of who was in charge. The men around the table all looked a little green and more than slightly worried. Maybe it was the teal eyes of his brunette paramour, with her arms crossed, slightly behind and to his left, boring holes into them. Maybe it was the fact that the large, obviously armed, man standing protectively just to his right looked ready and willing to visit them with violence. It might have even been the cadre of equally well-dressed lawyers standing behind him!

"Gentlemen, my Father is not even buried! And you think that just because you happen to be the Board of Directors of Senior Industries-North and South American operations, that you can act as if you are the sole owners. I remind you that Father held 50% of **all** stock. And upon his death, it passes to ME!"

No, it was the icy pale blue eyes glaring at the assembled men around the incredibly expensive hand lacquered teak table that had them sick in their stomachs.

"Years ago, my Father vested me with 10% of all Senior Industries. With my Father's passing, I now hold 60% of all voting stock. That means I can fire Any...Body!"

"For years, you gentlemen have considered me to be nothing more than an appendage of my Father. I personally do not care one way or the other what you think of me. But if you believe for one second that I will allow you to collapse this company, which has been in business in one form or fashion since the 1600's, through corruption and greed, then you ARE going to get a visit from ONE of the gentlemen who arrived with me!"

While they all knew Junior overtly meant the lawyers, the unspoken threat was the large, very fit, Hispanic man to his right. If they got caught getting out of line, they had a choice of the sharks circling behind the new CEO and Chairman of the Board or the barely leashed Wolfhound beside him. And this wasn't one of the tamed, domesticated animals found today, but one of the half-feral killers that once upon a time struck fear into the heart of the Roman Legions stationed in Brittany.

"Just because I am going to be incommunicado does NOT mean that I won't be keeping track of things here and in Madrid. Remember that Gentlemen! And I suggest that you pass that on to your counterparts in Madrid and around the world!"

Junior turned and strode from the room and for the first time in his life made sure everyone knew, without saying a word, that no matter what he was before, he was still a Senior.

* * *

"He needs a bike of some kind...  
But since he's not, like...  
twelve or something, maybe...  
you could make it a motorcycle."

Kaname had begun to recognize the manic gleam and, even before Kim had a chance to break in, Kaname cut them off before they had gone too far. "No transforming super mecha-bikes. Just a simple motorcycle. That I could probably make happen."

Personally she liked the idea of a bike. She fondly remembered riding on the back of a 'stolen' bicycle as Sousuke pedaled through part of the countryside when the Sousuke had forgotten her notebook. Or riding back home after trying to frighten the Soldier at the "Haunted Hospital". Yes, as Kim would say, being able to hold him as they wound through the mountains had a most "def" appeal.

She asked, "What else?"

The Tweebs thought about it and said,

"Well, we always liked...  
sledding in the winter.  
We could mount some rocket engines...  
and you wouldn't have to climb back up the hill."

"OK, a sled." She said as she wrote down what they were saying, ignoring the rockets.

Kim just smiled and shook her head. She had to admit her brothers had surprised her. The Tweebs didn't know it, but for one of the few times in their lives, their big sister was proud of them. Once they heard why Kaname wanted their help, they were more than willing. It wasn't pity or charity. Sympathy was the closest word she could think of.

"How about a computer for...  
playing the latest video games?  
Give it the latest in video...  
graphic cards and you'll be able to...  
play any game in the world!"

Kim and Kaname shared a glance, and then just LOOKED at them for a moment, while Kim said "Think about it."

The Tweebs looked at each other for a second.

"Oh yeah, you got...  
Wade in the basement.  
We forgot."

"Well, how about some 'action figures'...  
with animatronic action and laser guns...  
that shoot real lasers!"

They stopped as Kim started getting a horrified look, looked at each other, shuddered and said,

"Nevermind...  
that's too much like the...  
Lil' Diablos!"

"Oh, you could get the stuff to play 'Battleship'...  
with remote controlled ships...  
from somewhere and go to the lake...  
and sink em'!"

Kaname glared at them, "Do I look like I'm a government? I have a budget that really means something!"

Kim said, "I'll be back." and went up the stairs.

"Hey, Sagara plays guitar...  
we saw a flyer for a benefit concert...  
for some band called Cheap Trick...  
just after New Years...  
you think he'd like a set of tickets?"

Kaname's jaw dropped.

* * *

Landslide  
Stevie Nicks

watch?v=H_CwT7p8-e8&feature=related

Kim left Kaname to brainstorm with the Tweebs and went upstairs to find something to drink. In the kitchen, out the window, she saw James Possible on the patio. Kim was a little concerned because it was freezing cold outside. She walked to the patio door and watched. He was standing there wearing a jacket, leaning against a post, with what appeared to be an empty mug in his hand, looking up at the towering Rocky Mountains.

_**I took my love, I took it down.  
**__**Climbed a mountain and I turned around,  
**__**And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills,  
**__**Till the landslide brought me down.  
**_

She looked to the half-full pot sitting on the coffeemaker and figured he needed a refill. Grabbing a mug for herself, she picked up the pot, went outside and asked, "You want some more coffee, Daddy?"

When he turned to face her, she felt like her heart was breaking. It looked like his already had. James wasn't in tears, but the look on his face spoke of poignant, bittersweet memories. "Daddy?"

He just looked at her with a half smile and held out the mug in his hands. When she filled the mug, he surprised her by saying, "Thanks Kim."

_**Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?  
**__**Can the child within my heart rise above?  
**__**Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?  
**__**Can I handle the seasons of my life?**_

The lack of his normal, almost condescending, 'Kimmie-cub' or even the more paternal 'Kimberly' threw her. Wondering whether to ask what was bothering him or letting her mother know about it, she poured the rest of the pot into her mug and took the pot back to the kitchen. Looking back to the patio, she saw that he didn't even seem to notice the cold as he'd turned back to watching the sun set behind the mountains. She went back outside, just watching him. Something was really on his mind as he stood there while twilight covered the sky, snow blanketed the ground.

_**Mmm, mmm, mmm  
**__**Well, I've been afraid of changing',  
**__**Cause I've built my life around you.  
**__**But time makes you bolder.  
**__**Even children get older and I'm getting older too.  
**_

He normally seemed to be in his own world, but this went even beyond that. Her father had been known to get so focused on a project that her Mom had been forced to occasionally collect him from the Center before he collapsed. But that was with a project or a machine of some kind in front of him.

"Daddy, are you OK?"

He just looked at her with that bittersweet smile, "I'm fine, Kim." He cupped her cheek, "It's just that once you learn something, you can't unlearn it. I had some things thrown in my face today that I just can't ignore anymore. I can't forget it or pretend that I don't know or realize anymore."

_**Bridge**_

She was getting scared now, thinking that he was sick or something, "Daddy?"

He pointed to a spot in the yard, "It was right over there, you and Ronald had your first snowball fight! The two of you were soaked to the skin and still Anne and I had to drag you both into a hot bath. And now Ronald has grown in to fine young man!"

He set the mug down and this time cupped her face, "And you. You've grown into a very beautiful young woman. And it all happened so _fast_!"

"Oh Daddy!"

_**Well, I've been afraid of changing',  
**__**Cause I've built my life around you.  
**__**But time makes you bolder.  
**__**Even children get older and I'm getting older too.  
**__**Oh, I'm getting older too.  
**_

He looked at her with a slightly mischievous grin. "As a matter of fact, I think that snowball fight was also the **first** time you two took a bath together. I think the last time was when you were about six." Like flipping a switch, his face went poignant, "But it won't be the last anymore, will it?"

She knew this was breaking his heart. Tears traced her cheeks as her chin trembled, "No Daddy, it won't."

He held her by the shoulders, looked into her green eyes and asked, "Are you happy ? Are you happy with Ronald?"

She nodded and said, "Yes Daddy. I'm so happy, sometimes I feel like I'll burst."

She saw the tears well up in his eyes. He held her head to his chest and she heard his voice rumbling inside his torso as he said in a cracking voice, "Then that's the only thing I could hope for."

Tears trailed her cheeks as she said, "Thank you, Daddy."

_**Awh, take my love, take it down.  
**__**Awh, climb a mountain and turn around.  
**__**And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills.  
**__**Well, the landslide bring it down.  
**__**And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills.  
**__**Well, the landslide bring it down.  
**__**Ohoh, the landslide bring it down.**_

* * *

Sousuke dropped Junior, Bonnie and Alejandro off outside a nondescript house that, except for the garage behind it, looked similar to every other in the neighborhood. The back door was opened by Ron, standing in the entrance to the kitchen.

"Come on in. I need you guys to help me out." They walked into the living room to see a small pile of mementos, knickknacks, and assorted personal items being placed into boxes.

"The place is completely furnished and there's even dishes in the cabinets and cookware under the counter by the stove. The cable is up and there's TV's in here and two of the bedrooms. Using this place means you don't have to sign anything or leave a paper trail for someone to follow."

"This house has three bedrooms. I'm assuming you'll only need two, so Junior, you and Bonnie can use the master bedroom, down the hall, second door on the right. It has a full bath. Towels and washcloths are in the cabinet." Ron looked at Alejandro saying, "First on the left is yours. That's the street side. There's a small bathroom connecting the two smaller rooms. Same thing there."

"I bought ya a couple a vehicles. They're in the garage; the keys are hanging by the back door. There's a laptop and a cell phone for each of you on the dining room table."

"The cells are encrypted, but only for local use. Junior, I figured you would need to call some of your company execs. Use the house landline. Wade ran the signal through his system, so it's really secure. Don't ask me what he did or how he did it. Something about spreading the signal out."

"The internet is up and the place has a secure Wi-Fi set up. None of the laptops have passwords yet, but Wade loaded em up, so as long as you're careful they're secure. Just be sure to create passwords for em."

"Bonnie, I know ya didn't go shopping for groceries very often, but you should remember your way around. If not use the laptops for directions or you can call me or Kim."

Junior just took it for granted that Ron was able to set something like this up so quickly but Bonnie knew better.

She asked, "Stoppable, how were you able to get this place set up so fast?"

"It's mine."

Bonnie was surprised to find out that 19 year old Ronald Stoppable actually owned a house. "Yours'? You actually bought a house that fast?"

"No, I got from my uncle. That's the reason I need you guys to give me a hand. What I wanna do is move the personal stuff into the last room, down the hall on the left. Once that's done you guys can have the run of the house."

"You have an uncle that just gave you a house?"

"No, it was in his will. He was murdered."

While Bonnie was trying to stammer an apology, Ron looked at Junior, "We think it was the same guys that went after your Father."

The pale blue eyes went absolutely flat.

* * *

The man didn't want to report the information the intelligence section had just come across to the platinum haired young man. He really DID NOT want to do this. Unfortunately he was the most junior member of the section and been given his orders. He knocked on the door to the office.

"Enter." He opened the door and pensively entered. The man standing before a huge window looking out over the mountains glanced over his shoulder.

"Yes, what is it?" He turned back to watching the sunrise.

"Uh, Sir you gave orders to let you know of any information concerning the subject Chidori Kaname."

"Yes, yes, what is it?"

"Well uh..."

"Get on with it."

"Uh sir, I think you might want to look at a video clip we recorded from Celebrity: In Depth."

The young man shot back, "That tabloid television trash media show?"

"Yes sir."

"Chidori Kaname would never be near that garbage. You've made a mistake. I suggest you check the data again."

The man gulped, "Sir, the information is waiting on your terminal."

Mr. Platinum waved the man away and the man left as fast as he decently could, before the young man in the office got a chance to see the video.

Mr. Platinum pulled up the file and started media file.

A spinning logo flashed 'Celebrity: In Depth' and the screen faded to a hawk faced woman in her early to mid thirties.

"This is Ima Suchnso! Breaking news for all of those that want to be 'In the know!' In our Top Story tonight, as many of you know, world famous, Kim Possible entered the college scene this year, leaving the nest of her former family home. The exact location of her new digs are as 'Yet' undetermined. The only information we have so far is that she has moved in with her paramour Tom Loppable and several other freshman students."

"For now though, we're focusing on her college life. For the last several months, she's been seen in the company of not only Tom Loppable, but THIS young couple as well." A grainy video clip showed Kaname and Sousuke strolling along through the campus quad. She was snuggled up to his side with her arm through his, looking up at him with an obviously exuberant smile on her face. Kim and Ron were walking beside them as they chatted about something the the camera couldn't catch.

"It's taken some time, but the identity of the two people with Kim Possible and Tom Loppable has finally been determined! The girl is Kaname Chidori and the young man is Suke Cigar!"

"What IS the history of this mysterious couple? Crack Celebrity: In Depth research reporters have spared no effort in bringing you the hottest news. Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, so far the young mans past is still shrouded in mystery, so let's start with the girl!"

"Viewers! Don't let her pretty face and full figure fool you. This girl is no wallflower or shrinking violet. We have solid information that she was responsible for the maiming of not one, but TWO disadvantaged persons at a fast food eatery near the campus. The reports obtained by Celebrity: In Depth show that she brandished a gun and fired four times, catching the two poor souls in the crossfire of her indiscriminate shooting spree, crippling them for life."

"The police did Nothing!"

"How could this be? Let's look a little deeper! Miss Chidori is the daughter of this man," A video clip of Shunya Chidori addressing the UN flashed on the screen. "He is Shunya Chidori, a Japanese delegate to the United Nations. Coincidence? We don't think so!"

"Something else about this young woman to consider. She's attending an expensive university with no visible means of support. While her father has the means to pay for her tuition, the research instead shows that she has a 'full ride' scholarship and that no one seems to able to determine who the sponsor is. Another mystery!"

The screen behind Ima Suchnso flashed a freeze-frame closeup of the video, focusing on Kaname and Sousuke. Once the still was visible, it zoomed in closer and closer to her left hand. "If you look closely, you'll notice a very sizable chunk of 'Ice' on her left hand and from the way they are acting it's a good bet that Mr. Cigar put it there. Are wedding bells ringing for this very young couple?"

"Celebrity: In Depth was able to question Mr. Chidori about the implication his daughter was engaged before she even finished her Freshman year! Roll tape!" Shunya was walking down the steps of the UN building on his way home when a reporter and cameraman practically teleported in front of him.

"Mr. Chidori, Ima Suchnso from Celebrity: In Depth. Please tell our viewers your opinion of your daughter's apparent engagement before she's even 20 years old?" Ima jammed the microphone into his face. Shunya tried to play it off.

"Ahhh, Engrish wakarimasen."

"Mr. Chidori, we know you're very fluent in our language. Now please answer the question."

"Very well. If you must know, the engagement ring my daughter is wearing belonged to my wife. After her passing, she wanted Kaname to to have it. When the time came, I gave it to her fiancee prior to his asking her to marry him. Since _**I**_ presented to him, you can guess my opinion of both him and the fact they are now engaged."

"Are you certain you can trust them since the best information we have shows that she lives with Suke Cigar."

Shunya's eyes went hard. "No! Not Suke Cigar. Sousuke Sagara. Sousuke-kun is a fine young man that has done more for my daughter than anyone, that might even include me. The both of them have shown excellent judgment in the past and I have total faith that they will conduct themselves in a responsible manner. The two of them have my complete trust."

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a prior engagement."

The screen flashed back to the studio where the anchor said, "Stay tuned! More to come on this breaking story following this break!"

When the clip mentioned the fact that Kaname was openly wearing an engagement ring, eyes went wide and a jaw dropped. When he heard that it was Shunya, of all people, that provided the ring, teeth clenched and eyes narrowed dangerously.

But it was the "Complete trust" comment that sent Leonard Testarossa into a fury. He was counting on the man's disapproval of Sagara to hinder the relationship between the couple. Instead her father had thrown a wrench into his plans.

* * *

When they arrived back in Germany, the _Sturmbannführer_ stepped into the laboratory of short man that currently held the title of _der Fuehrer,_ saluted and waited. He patently refused to use the stiff arm _Heil_ salute from the Third Reich, instead, using the current salute of the _Bundeswehr_, his right bicep parallel to the ground right hand went to the edge of the right eyebrow, hand flat and palm twisted slightly to his face.

Dementor, knowing it was the best he was going to get from the stiff-necked Major, simply said, "Report."

The Major recovered to Attention and said, "As planned, Sir. Once we convinced the Yono to release Fiske and take the subject, the _Obersturmführer_ simply bludgeoned him in the back of the head hard enough to render him unconscious. The Yono then returned to the earth. Fiske was kept sedated the whole trip. The hardest part was reentering Germany itself."

"What is Fist's condition?"

The Major shuddered, "He seems to be even more monkey-like than before. But in good health otherwise."

"Gut, have Monkey Fist taken to America and release him close to the family of the _Untermensch_. As crazy as he is Fist is still predictable. He will immediately try to attack them and that will draw out Stoppable. Observe, but don't interfere. Let's see how the _Untermensch_ responds."

"Understood."

The _Sturmbannführer_ saluted and turned to leave when Dementor said, "Oh, and _**Ober**__sturmbannführer, _promote the _Obersturmführer_ to _Hauptsturmführer,_ I think his performance deserves it."

The newly promoted Lieutenant Colonel nodded and said, "Sir."

* * *

When he shut the door to the laboratory, he walked towards his office muttering "_Arschloch!_" (ASSHOLE)

Entering the office, he sat into the chair and sighed. Rifling through the reports, he found the ones that set him on the path he had chosen. If they weren't stopped the terrorists would win. They had the will and the means to bring the European sub-continent, including Germany to a radical Islamist Dark Age that would be worse than Torquemada and Inquisition. The only hope he could see was a radical shift in the German way of thought.

Most German civilians ascribed to a Pacifist philosophy, but he knew the truth. George Orwell said it during the height of WWII in his Notes on Nationalism concerning those same Pacifists.

"**Those who 'abjure' violence can only do so because others are committing violence on their behalf.**"

He looked up to the plaque on the wall that, as far as he was concerned, said it better. A misquote often attributed to Orwell, but instead penned by a journalist writing about the author and his views.

"_**People sleep peaceably in their beds at night  
**__**only because rough men stand ready  
**__**to do violence on their behalf**_ ."

To survive the coming onslaught, Germany would need the same will and drive they had shown prior to 1939. Focused on a threat, ready to face ruthless, violent, uncivilized behavior, just as ruthlessly, just as violent and just as uncivilized as their enemy.

But if they could stand against that onslaught, Germany could become a bastion that the enemy could not defeat. This enemy wasn't the Allies of the 40's. They couldn't drop enough bombs to flatten the entire German Heartland. Terror was their only weapon. And if Germany could stand, it would become a nucleus of resistance once the rest of the West finally learned enough to figure out that you could only negotiate with "Nice" people. If they weren't Nice, there was no reason to even try.

That was the American problem in the Middle East. They kept trying to be Nice to people that weren't Nice. Most of the Middle Eastern peoples were barely above a tribal level and only understood Conquered or Conqueror!

It was time for Germany to stop being 'Nice' and start being 'Good'. Otherwise a night could fall over the West that would take centuries to recover from.

One of the things that bothered him was instead of battling Team Possible, they should be trying to, if not recruit them, then at least become allies with them. Stoppable in particular had shown a willingness to become one of those "Rough Men" who would draw a line and take a stand against the Darkness saying, "This far and no farther! You shall not pass!"

And if the information he had seen was to be believed, then the rest of Team Possible was either just as willing or nearly so. He had carefully kept most of that data away from the lunatic two floors below. He had fostered a trust with the Intelligence Section and convinced them to filter all the data through him before it got to Dementor, Thank God. He ranted and raved enough as it was.

As he started in on the paperwork, the former _Obersturmführer _knocked and entered. The Lieutenant Colonel waved for him to shut the door and take a seat.

Once seated the _Obersturmbannführer_ said, sarcastically, "You have been promoted to _Hauptsturmführer_, and I have been graced with the rank of _Obersturmbannführer_. A glorious day for Hero's of the Nu Reich, eh! Well you wouldn't be here without a reason. What is it?"

"Target two was seen in New York, Sir. Our orders said..." He trailed off.

"Yes, they did. But according to our information, target two is a spoiled, petulant man-child with no thought for anyone but himself. Not that I believe **that**, not after seeing his father in action. The apple would have to fall very far from the tree to get away from the man that fought **us** to a standstill. And when it's all said and done, 'Blood will tell'. But as far as anyone else is concerned, target two is non-factor. Is that clear? That way he can have some security."

"Understood, Sir."

"How are the men?"

"The men are yours, Sir. No matter why they joined before, they are now _SS Nordland_ and YOURS. They will follow your orders implicitly, without question or hesitation. They know you won't order them into dishonor, **at all**, nor their deaths without a very good reason. Simply put, they would follow you straight into hell, as would I, Sir!"

"You humble me. I only hope I can prove worthy of your trust and faith."

"You already have, Sir"

"_Hauptsturmführer_, are you sure?"

"Yes, Sir"

"_Hauptsturmführer_, I ask because I might have to give you orders that might seem strange. Are you positive?"

"Absolutely, Sir"

"Well than, did you know that I'm distantly releated to Claus von Stauffenberg?"

"Sir?" The German Captain had heard the name, but couldn't place it.

The _Obersturmbannführer_ prompted, "_Oberst __im Generalstab_ Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg? The 20 July Plot? 20 July 1944?"

"Sir? That von Stauffenberg?"

"The same. And it's begining to look like we might have to try all over again. I just hope this time we can succed where he failed."

* * *

Ranks and translations

Waffen SS

_Obersturmbannführer-_Lieutenant Colonel  
_Sturmbannführer-_Major  
_Hauptsturmführer-_Captain  
_Obersturmführer-_Lieutenant

Wehrmacht Heer(German Army)

_Oberst __im Generalstab-_Colonel of the General Staff Corps


End file.
